All major Western companies are now out of Novatek’s new gas project in northern Russia because of the Ukraine war. This applies to the giant gas plant on the Yamal Peninsula in Western Siberia, and also a new plant near Murmansk that creates factories to produce gas. However, Chinese companies are in both places with both capital and technology. These companies are also co-owners of the large ice-breaking tankers that transport the gas, according to Fridtjof Nansen’s Institute. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are cooperating more in the Arctic. Photo: SPUTNIK / Reuters – More unstable security political climate That China gets more of a foothold in the northern regions is problematic, according to the Danish intelligence service. A new report from them states: “A Russia that is both economically and militarily isolated from other Arctic states will become more dependent on China, and will therefore have more difficulty rejecting increased cooperation with China.” Furthermore, Danish e-service believes that this is likely to create a more unstable security policy climate in the Arctic. It will further the great power game between Russia, China and the USA in the area. The Norwegian intelligence service shares the Danes’ assessment. Chief of Communications at the Norwegian Intelligence Service, Ann-Kristin Bjergene, replies in an email to news: “In the main, our assessment coincides with that of the Danes as it appears… Our assessment is that following developments in the Arctic will continue to be of central importance.” In recent years, a completely new plant to create factories to produce natural gas has been built near Murmansk. The factories are shipped out by boat to Siberia. Photo: Novatek – Participated in the planning of new developments Senior researcher Arild Moe at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute is one of several researchers who believe that Russia may be pressured to enter into even more cooperation with China. – Yes. China is stronger than Russia. We see that Chinese companies have been involved in planning new developments of natural gas, but to what extent China will push in the Arctic is difficult to say, says Moe. In September last year, the US Coast Guard discovered that the Russian and Chinese navies had a joint exercise in the far north of the Bering Sea. Senior researcher Arild Moe at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute believes that Russia may be pressured to enter into more cooperation with China. Photo: Private Researcher Andreas Østhagen at Nord University and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute says that this incident is one of several that have caused concern recently. – There is increasing military activity in these northern areas on the other side of the pole point, which is linked to increased interest in cooperation with Russia regarding military activity in the Arctic. A ship is docked at Novatek’s facility in Sabetta on the Jamal Peninsula. The Yamal and Nenets region in western Siberia produces 15 percent of all gas in the world. In the area, there are still large gas deposits that have not been exploited, according to Novatek. Photo: Olesya Astakhova / Reuters American concern for the Arctic Senior researcher Kristian Åtland at the Defense Research Institute believes that it is quite clear that the US dislikes an increased Chinese presence in the Arctic. – On the American side, there is concern about China’s rise globally, including in the Arctic. On the American side, there is concern that China will eventually become a separate military actor here as well. There is a concern that the Arctic will become a region of great power rivalry between the US and China. – How should Western countries deal with the somewhat more complicated security policy situation in the Arctic? – I believe that all the Arctic countries, minus Russia, must have a dialogue about military and non-military security challenges. At the same time, we must keep a close eye on what Russia is doing, and we must keep an eye on Russia’s cooperation with China in the Arctic.
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– Will complicate the superpower game – news Troms and Finnmark
