Germany declares placement of warships to Arctic

(MENAFN) Germany plans to deploy naval forces to the Arctic region as part of a broader NATO effort to counter what it views as increased Russian militarization in the area, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Monday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Copenhagen with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, Pistorius said Germany aims to establish a military presence in the North Atlantic and Arctic as early as this year.

The operation, named "Atlantic Bear," will involve a support vessel traveling from Iceland to Greenland and then to Canada to participate in joint military exercises with NATO allies such as Denmark, Norway, and Canada. Pistorius also confirmed that Germany will deploy maritime patrol aircraft, submarines, and frigates to reinforce its presence in the region.

According to Pistorius, the move comes amid growing maritime threats and what he described as Russia’s “militarization of the Arctic.” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte previously stated that member nations are intensifying cooperation in the Arctic to defend NATO territory.

Moscow, however, has pushed back against these accusations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed that Russia is merely responding to NATO's increased activity in the region and has no aggressive intentions. He reiterated in March that Russia does not pose a threat in the Arctic but will defend its interests along its 24,000-kilometer Arctic coastline if provoked.

The Kremlin views NATO’s growing military focus in the far north as a destabilizing factor and has vowed to mirror Western actions in order to maintain strategic balance.

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