ST. PETERSBURG, April 2. /TASS/. The West is rapidly turning the Arctic from a non-conflict zone into an arena of potential military confrontation, said Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Department for European Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Through the efforts of our Western colleagues, the Arctic, which remained on the periphery of geopolitics for decades, is rapidly losing its status as a region of low tension and is turning into a new stage for confrontation and potential armed conflict," he said at the first International Transport and Logistics Forum.

The first International Transport and Logistics Forum is taking place in St. Petersburg on April 1-3, 2026. TASS is the general information partner.