Washington called on the Arctic to “avoid militarization.”

The head of the US embassy, ​​Anthony Blinken, called on the Arctic to “avoid militarization” in Iceland on Tuesday, in a warning to Russia the day before military operations in the strategic area.

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“We have concerns about an increase in military activity in the Arctic, which increases the risk of accidents or miscalculations and undermines the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region,” he told reporters in Reykjav‌k, where he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart. .

The U.S. Secretary of State directly called on him to refrain from making statements on Monday, showing his “hope” that the Arctic summit would “strengthen peaceful cooperation in the region” on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Our hope is that this kind of cooperation will continue and that the Arctic will remain an area of ​​peaceful cooperation,” said Anthony Blinken.

“We must all move forward, including Russia, on the basis of the standards and commitments we have each made and avoid statements that undermine them,” he said in response to a question on Sergei Lavrov’s words. Arctic.

Russia’s Foreign Minister announced on Monday that the Arctic is a Russian-influenced area, warning the West against its intentions in the High North.

“It has long been clear to everyone that these are our lands, our territory,” he said, condemning NATO’s and Norway’s dangerous tendencies in the Arctic.

Anthony Blinken accused Russia of “illegal maritime claims along the Arctic coast, especially on the terms of transport for foreign vessels on the northern route.”

These rules are “contrary to international law and this is something we have responded to and will continue to respond to,” he said.

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