MURMANSK, August 19. /TASS/. Increasing the combat readiness of the Northern Fleet against the background of the West's growing military presence in the Arctic is one of the priorities in ensuring Russia's national interests in this region, Russia’s presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev has said.

The United States and its allies have actually blocked Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council, Patrushev said at a meeting in Murmansk on ensuring Russia's national interests in the Arctic.

"They have been actively building up their military presence in the Arctic and intensifying the campaign to discredit Russia's actions in the Arctic region. Finland and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance further aggravated the situation," the presidential aide said.

"We cannot but react to such aggressive actions. Therefore, expanding the capabilities of Russia’s Armed Forces, including measures to increase the combat readiness of the Northern Fleet, the Kola Bay being its major base, is one of the priorities to ensure national interests in the Arctic," Patrushev stressed.