IN BRIEF: Senior diplomat on NATO infrastructure northward movement, Russia’s response

IN BRIEF: Senior diplomat on NATO infrastructure northward movement, Russia’s response Alexander Grushko noted that Russia’s traditional partners in the Arctic do not seem ready to act rationallyRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko© AP Photo/Geert Vanden WijngaertVLADIVOSTOK, September 1. /TASS/. The Arctic is being turned into a zone of military confrontation and Russia is recording provocations posed by the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance in this region, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). He stressed that Russia takes into account all risks posed by NATO "on the water, on the ground, and in the air" as part of its military planning. Russia’s traditional partners in the Arctic do not seem ready to act rationally, he noted. TASS has summed up the senior Russian diplomat’s key statements. Turning the Arctic into a zone of military confrontation The Arctic is being turned into a zone of military confrontation, Russia is recording provocations by NATO countries in this region: "We do see that the Arctic is currently being turned into a zone of military rivalry. We have registered a large number of military drills. We see provocative actions posed by the flights of strategic bombers." Russia observes the gradual northward shift of NATO infrastructure: "NATO has launched its military initiative, called ‘Arctic Sentry.’ We see how weapons purchases evolve, including those intended for the Arctic class. We see how NATO’s infrastructure is shifting northward." Norway has abandoned all of its self-imposed restrictions that "for years had been an integral part of the security landscape in the North": "New phases are emerging, new opportunities are opening up for projecting forces into our Russian North." Russia’s response to NATO actions Russia takes into account all risks posed by NATO "on the water, on the ground, and in the air" as part of its military planning. The West-provoked "artificial confrontation" has prompted Russia to take measures including the restoration of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts and the deployment of the Karelian Corps. The West’s unwillingness to act rationally The countries Russia has been cooperating with within the Arctic Council for decades are now unwilling to act rationally: "We understand that, as things stand today, our traditional partners, with whom we have cooperated for decades in the Arctic within the framework of the Arctic Council, are not willing to act rationally." Northern Sea Route The world is much wider than NATO and the European Union, so, Russia is not going to limit itself to them: "For us, the world in this sense is certainly not confined to the formats of interaction we have adhered to. The world is much broader than NATO and the European Union, and we will steadily move forward along the path of developing mutually beneficial cooperation with the global majority." Russia will develop mutually beneficial cooperation with countries of the global majority that show interest in the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor: "We understand and see interest from our other partners, including countries of the global majority, countries of the global South. India, and China, as well as our Korean colleagues show great interest. Very soon, we will hear about other participants in such projects related to the development of the Northern Sea Route." 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