MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Norway may entangle Spitsbergen (Svalbard) in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"We have drawn attention to the push in Norway for the militarization of the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) archipelago. Under the pretext of an alleged hybrid threat emanating from our country, now allegedly threatening Spitsbergen as well, high-ranking Norwegian politicians are calling for increasing the military presence on the archipelago and asserting that it belongs to NATO's area of responsibility," Zakharova said. "Irresponsibly disregarding international law, Oslo and its allies are actually dragging the archipelago into the conflict in Ukraine," the diplomat pointed out.
According to Zakharova, loud statements about alleged hybrid attacks plotted by Russia on the territory of Spitsbergen, capable of undermining Norwegian sovereignty, are unfounded, baseless speculation, rumors, and fabrications. She recalled that a similar scenario could be observed on the territory of mainland Norway. "The intensified militarization of the north of the country was initiated under the slogans about the alleged security threats emanating from Russia and shaped to align with the parameters and goals of the United States and NATO. It is obvious that now Spitsbergen is also being drawn into these processes," the spokeswoman said.
Zakharova recalled that the archipelago has a special international legal status, including in military terms. Thus, in accordance with Article 9 of the 1920 Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Treaty, Norway is obligated not to create or allow the creation of infrastructure that can be used for war purposes. "We consider any such hostile intentions on this territory as a violation of the treaty, a dangerous provocation that introduces military potential into the Arctic region," Zakharova said.
The diplomat noted that according to Norwegian media, the SvalSAT satellite surveillance station located on the archipelago is used to gather intelligence in the interests of the military and intelligence services of the US and Ukraine to support military actions against Russia. "Under the guise of the so-called protection of sovereignty, Spitsbergen is being turned into a base for intelligence and hybrid military operations, or better yet, a testing ground for dual-use products and technologies," Zakharova pointed out.
According to her, Russia, for its part, is demonstrating in word and deed its readiness for constructive interaction both on the issues of the archipelago and on cooperation on the archipelago in accordance with the 1920 treaty. "We are convinced that the aggressive rhetoric and actions of the Norwegian leadership contradict the goals of ensuring stability and security in the Arctic region," Zakharova concluded.