Germany’s defence minister said Monday the country would send navy ships to patrol Arctic waters, citing the threat from a Russian military build-up in the region.
“Maritime threats are mounting… To name but a few, Russia is militarising the Arctic,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told a press conference.
“We are seeing an increasing activity of Russian submarines operating in that area,” the minister added, speaking alongside his Danish counterpart, Troels Lund Poulsen.
Therefore, “as early as this year, Germany will show its presence in the North Atlantic and the Arctic,” Pistorius said.
The announcement comes at a time when attention to security in the Arctic has been heightened, with US President Donald Trump vowing to annex the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland for security reasons — while accusing Denmark of having under-invested in its security.
Sea ice loss driven by climate change is opening new shipping lanes and access to resources in the Arctic, fuelling a global power grab over the region.
The Danish government announced at the beginning of the year it would spend 14.6 billion kroner ($2.3 billion) on strengthening security in the area, in collaboration with Greenland and the Faroe Islands — another autonomous Danish territory.
Pistorius said German support ship the Berlin would go from Iceland to Greenland and then Canada as part of a deployment named “Atlantic Bear”.
“Along the route, we will exercise with our allies in the region, and we have planned the first port call of a German navy ship to Nuuk in Greenland,” Pistorius said.
“We will then, for the first time, take part in the Canadian Arctic exercise, Nanook,” the minister continued, adding that “we will deploy our maritime patrol aircraft, submarines and frigates to demonstrate our commitment to that region.”
Poulsen meanwhile said he would unveil new investments for the Arctic this week.
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