The Secretary -General of NATO visits the Canada Arctic for the first time

"NATO is marching towards the Arctic region." According to the Russian News, on the 25th, local time, NATO Secretary -General Stoltenberg visited the country's Nonawot area accompanied by the Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Cambridge Bay. NATO website said that this was the first time that NATO Secretary -General visited the Canadian Arctic. Stoltenberg wrote a few days ago that as the climate warmed and global competition intensified, the risk of tension around the Arctic region would increase. He specifically mentioned in the text that Russia's military operations on Ukraine have become global security "game rules change", and both China and Russia have strengthened activities in the Arctic region.

Stoltenberg visited Canada from 24th to 26th. On the 25th, he visited the northern warning system radar stations and high latitudes Arctic Research stations in the northern warning system of Cambridge in Cambridge Bay. Among them, the northern warning system radar station will be upgraded as part of the North American Air Defense Command. In June this year, the Secretary of Defense of the Canadian Defense announced that it will invest 4.9 billion Canadian dollars (about 26 billion yuan) to upgrade North American air defense systems in the next six years.

Stoltenberg wrote in the Canadian Global Post to explain why NATO wants to strengthen the existence in the Arctic. "The shortest path of Russian missiles or bomber leading to North America is the North Pole." He said that this makes the role of North American Air Defense Command is crucial to North America and NATO. Stoltenberg also said that some "authoritarian government" has increasing interest in the Arctic region. He mentioned in the text that Russia has "greatly strengthened" related military activities in recent years, and China is also "expanding existence", calling itself as near the Arctic countries, and plans to build the "Ice Silk Road".

Cosachev, vice chairman of the Russian Federal Committee (Parliament's upper court), believes that NATO, which is entering the Arctic region, threatened the security of the region. The Russian News quoted him on the 26th that it was not the "NATO values ​​and interests" area. Russia's "Today's Economic" network said on the 26th that Russian political scientist Mattovilchk said that NATO was unable to develop the North Pole. At present, there are only two ice -breaking boats for the U.S. Navy, and none of them can perform tasks directly in the Arctic.

Regarding Stoltenberg's visit to Canada's Arctic, Canada News Agency said that Ottawa's "conflict" attitude towards NATO has been softened for a long time, even if the Canadian party was not fully opened. Charon, an expert in North American security issues at the University of Manitoba, Canada, believes that Stetenberg's visit to the North Polar is more a symbol of unity within NATO, not a practical signal. According to the Broadcasting Corporation of Canada, according to expert analysis, the reason why the Canadian party had cooperated with NATO in the past is not high because they did not want to irritate Russia, and there were also considerations to protect national sovereignty. ▲

This newspaper special reporter Ren Zhong Liu Yupeng

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