The pole of attraction

Last Monday, The Norwegian Intelligence Service published a report stating that the special services of Russia and China "are conducting active intelligence activities" against the Kingdom. "These two countries are able to carry out complex offensive operations in the network and constantly develop their capabilities," writes the local newspaper Verdens Gang, citing the latest report of the Agency. Military analysts say that the increased interest in Norway is evoked by its proximity to the Arctic. At the same time, experts do not exclude that the pressure on the Kingdom from Russia and China will only grow. And in this, particular important role is given to the possible interference with GPS systems used in air traffic.

Here we should recall last year's incident, when Norway allegedly recorded the jamming of satellite navigation signals over the airspace of the provinces of Troms and Finnmark during last year's exercises of NATO member countries Trident Juncture, accusing Russia of what happened. Moreover, last week the Director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service Morten Haga Lunde even demonstrated the Agency's "evidence". In particular, Lunde claims that the "jammers" were first situated near Pechenga, and then moved to the area of the closed Luostari air base which is near the Norwegian border.

However, there was no evidence of involvement of the Russian special services in the incident. It seems that Norway and then Finland (it also claims that such "failures" were recorded within its territory as well during the exercises of the Alliance) prefer to operate in the manner peculiar to the West "highly likely". It was this what Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out at a meeting with his Finnish counterpart Timo Soini. The talks were held in Moscow, and, of course, the parties could not ignore this incident. Soini noted that the failures in the GPS signals "caused concern among the citizens of the country" and asked Moscow "to provide information with regards to what could be caused by such interference". Sergei Lavrov was brief. First, he called Helsinki's assumptions "fantasies". Secondly, he expressed his readiness to"sit down at the negotiating table and consider particular facts". But neither Oslo nor Helsinki are in a hurry to do this. Maybe because they have absolutely nothing to provide?

According to the military expert, the editor of the magazine "Arsenal of the Fatherland" Alex Leonkov, anti-russian rhetoric, which is not backed up by any factual basis, demonstrates "incompetence" of the armies of the Western States. "When the fakes of the West will be debunked, faith in the European army will be undermined, - said the expert. - They will suddenly realize their absolutely defenceless and that their leaders give out desirable for valid. They will eventually understand that it is necessary to negotiate with Russians, rather than tell about them different "fairy tales".

At the same time, the expert draws public attention to the fact that the United States and its allies are seeking a way to exacerbate contradictions and create hotbeds of "new conflicts", including the Arctic region. "The factor of globalization, coupled with tectonic geophysical, climatic and political shifts in the Northern latitudes transform the Arctic into the field of acute competition of the Arctic, Arctic region and extra-regional states, says the expert, and at the same time, the tools of "soft", "smart", "reasonable" and "sharp" force are used. In addition, the trend of distorted perception of Russia's interests in the eyes of Western politicians is obvious," points out the leading researcher of IMEMO Katerina Labetrskaya.

It should be recalled that today eight Arctic States claim their shares of the continental shelf: Russia, the USA, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, as well as dozens of States whose borders are outside the Arctic territories.

Of course, the most important role is played by the energy potential of the Arctic. Moreover, the largest amount of hydrocarbons falls on Russia – after all, it owns about a third of the entire area of the Arctic shelf. Nowadays, 100% of diamonds, antimony, Apatite, 98% of platinoids, about 95% of Nickel, cobalt, chromium and manganese, 60% of copper, and 40% of gold are mined in the Russian Arctic. According to statistics of the Ministry of natural resources, natural gas reserves in the Russian Arctic cost 55 trillion cubic meters, oil-7.3 billion tons, condensate-2.7 billion tons.

Thus, according to the Chairman of the Munich international security conference Wolfgang Ischinger, the Arctic in the current geopolitical conditions can become the "connecting thread" that will unite the interests (primarily economic) of the polar States. At the same time, the expert does not exclude that the Arctic may become an arena of acute military confrontation.

Indeed, the American manner of creating situations that aggravate relations between countries in various regions of the world has long been the credo of the United States as the" method of force" as well, which Washington considers to be the only correct one to achieve political superiority in the international arena.

Moscow's tactics are diametrically opposed and are based on two fundamental principles. The first one is competent diplomacy and the second is constructive and equal cooperation. The Arctic should be developed together, and this should be done, as they say, with a "cold head" and "sober calculation". There are no insoluble contradictions in the region as well as no need for its militarization.