Nato Arctic defence needed against Russia, says Cooper

"The Foreign Secretary said: "The Arctic is the gateway for Russia's Northern Fleet to be able to threaten the United Kingdom, to threaten Western Europe and Norway, to threaten the United States and Canada. "So it's a whole transatlantic security depends on our Arctic security," she added. Cooper explained that Nato needs to "double down" and "do what we've done in other areas", to make sure that "we really strengthen the security of the high north"."

"Nato should "double down" on Arctic security to defend the region from Russian aggression, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has told the BBC. On a visit to British forces in northern Norway, she said the alliance should establish a combined operation - known as Arctic Sentry - to defend the region, just as it does in the Baltic Sea. She also said allies, including the US, should unite around the shared threat despite continuing disagreements over Greenland."

"US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in buying mineral-rich Greenland, with the White House failing to rule out the use of force to annex it. His demands have been rejected by Greenland's leaders and by Nato member Denmark, of which the island is a semi-autonomous territory. Cooper was joined by her Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, who said the row between Europe and the US over Greenland was a "distraction" from the greater security threat in Ukraine."

NATO faces growing security challenges in the Arctic as Russia's Northern Fleet can project force toward the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Norway, the United States and Canada. Strengthened transatlantic cooperation is required through a combined operation called Arctic Sentry to coordinate exercises, operations and intelligence sharing, mirroring Baltic and Eastern Sentry arrangements. US interest in buying Greenland and disagreement over the island risk distracting allies from wider threats. Greenland's leaders and Denmark rejected proposals to sell the island. Coordinated allied action, regular exercises and shared intelligence across the high north are essential to deter Russian aggression and preserve transatlantic security.

Read at www.bbc.com