Canadian Minister of National Defense William Blair said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington that the Arctic Ocean could become the main waterway between Europe and Asia by 2050, so the alliance needs to increase its presence in the Arctic.
"The Far North is actually being affected by climate change four times more than the global average. We are witnessing the melting of permafrost and the new accessibility of the Arctic," the minister said. "If this continues, then by 2050 the Arctic Ocean may become the main transit route between Europe and Asia."
Blair noted that with this development, "there are huge gaps" in NATO's security and the alliance's presence in the Arctic. According to the minister, with the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, the alliance will have to pay more attention to the Arctic region, tass.ru writes.
Alex Shishlo, Chief Editor of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
