European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that the European Union has adopted the Arctic Strategy to protect its “northern neighborhood.”
Von der Leyen said the EU sees Russia restoring Arctic military presence, reshaping regional security, and using hybrid tactics against neighbors, and stressed that it “affects the EU as a whole.” “Rules that have underpinned stability in the Arctic can no longer be taken for granted,” she said, adding that the EU must shift its strategic posture.
Finally, the official pointed out that the new strategy “is about” the EU’s main Arctic allies, such as Canada, who will jointly work to build a “peaceful, stable and resilient Arctic.”