The EU will present an updated strategy for the Arctic in October, incorporating security issues and regional capacity-building, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of the European Arctic Summit in Rovaniemi, Finland, Report informs.
"In this strategy, of course, we will come out with this later in October, but clearly there will be also concrete projects," Kallas said.
According to Kallas, the bloc intends to focus on issues where security is closely intertwined with climate change and environmental conditions. She specifically expressed concern over Russia's 'shadow fleet,' describing vessels used to bypass sanctions as a potential ecological threat to regional waters while also helping finance Russia's war against Ukraine.
Kallas stated that the Russian threat in the Arctic remains serious, even though a significant portion of Russian military resources is deployed in Ukraine.
"Like I said, opening ex-Soviet military bases here, doing the missile testing here in the High North, so clearly showing that this is a very important area," she said, noting that Russia maintains extensive infrastructure and a strategic military presence in the region.
Climate change is opening new maritime routes, heightening the Arctic's global importance and fueling growing competition for influence, Kallas said, adding that discussions will include regional needs such as icebreakers.
She also noted that issues concerning Greenland are likely to be touched upon at the summit, emphasizing the importance of the EU maintaining a unified stance to address security and climate challenges driven by geopolitical competition in the Arctic.