MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. The commencement of joint military exercises by the United States, Canada, and Denmark in Alaska and Greenland signals a continued escalation in the militarization of the Arctic region, according to Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), who spoke with TASS.
Earlier, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the US Northern Command announced the initiation of these collaborative exercises, set to take place in Alaska and Greenland through mid-March.
"These military drills serve as a significant indicator of the ongoing active militarization of the Arctic and highlight the increasing involvement of Northern European nations in this process, all under the auspices of the United States. This is occurring despite existing disagreements between the US and Denmark over Greenland's status," Stepanov remarked.
He emphasized that such exercises appear to be an effort to reinforce NATO countries’ military presence in the Arctic. Stepanov pointed out that the primary motivation behind these drills is the alleged threat of a Russian and Chinese invasion of the region.
"In this context, the exercises are not merely showy displays of strength but represent the systematic training of specialized units for keeping a strong foothold in the Arctic," he concluded.