09-30-2018, 11:38 PM
*** 1-Oct-18 World View -- UK to challenge Russia in Arctic, at time of tensions over Skripal poisoning
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** UK to challenge Russia in Arctic, at time of tensions over Skripal poisoning
****
![[Image: g180930b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180930b.jpg)
British troops heading for the Arctic (Getty)
At a time when tensions between the UK and Russia are extremely high
because of the poisoning of the March 4 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia,
using a Russia-developed nerve agent Novichok, UK's
defense secretary Gavin Williamson on Sunday announced that British
armed forces will confront Russia in the Arctic.
Williamson said that Russia was reopening Soviet-era bases in the
arctic and he warned that Britain's military must assert itself in the
newly navigable region.
According to Williamson:
<QUOTE>"We see Russian submarine activity very close to the
level that it was at the Cold War, and it's right that we start
responding to that.
If we could turn back the clock 10 years many people thought that
the era of submarine activity in the High North, in the North
Atlantic, and the threat that it posed did disappear with the fall
of the Berlin Wall. This threat has really come back to the fore.
If we want to be protecting our interests in what is effectively
our own back yard, this is something we need to be
doing."<END QUOTE>
Well, the Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago, not ten years, but who's
counting?
Williamson indicated that global warming was exposing Britain
to new military threats from Russia:
<QUOTE>"As the ice melts and new shipping routes emerge, the
significance of the High North and Arctic region increases.
Russia, with more submarines operating under the ice and ambitions
to build over 100 facilities in the Arctic, are staking a claim
and militarising the region. We must be ready to deal with all
threats as they emerge."<END QUOTE>
Britain is planning to open a new military base in the northern part
of Norway and deploy 800 Royal Marine and Army troops to the country
every winter for 10 years from 2019. They are to operate with the US
and Dutch troops there. Together with 3,000 commandos, sent to take
part in the NATO drills, the total number of the deployed troops will
top 40,000. In addition, four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter planes
will patrol Icelandic Skies.
"Our Poseidon aircraft submarine hunters, based in Lossiemouth, will
track Russian submarines. They will keep us safe at home and assist
our NATO allies," said Williamson. That should be reassuring.
Daily Mail (London) and UK Government and Sputnik News (Russia)
****
**** Russia says that UK violates its commitment to the Arctic Council
****
Russia's embassy in London criticized Britain's announcement,
promoting the idea of a threat from Russia. In fact, Russia claims
that Britain is violating its own policy statement as an observer at
the Arctic Council. According to a spokesman:
<QUOTE>"These speculations are yet another attempt to promote
the idea of military build-up in the Arctic under imaginary
pretexts. They run counter to the existing international legal
framework and completely undermine huge efforts undertaken in the
Arctic Council, where the UK is an observer state.
We hope the British media notices the impressive prospects for
trade, economic and infrastructural cooperation in the Arctic and
stops echoing those who can’t wait to engage in saber-rattling in
this part of the globe."<END QUOTE>
According to the US State Department:
<QUOTE>"Established by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996, the
Arctic Council is the preeminent intergovernmental forum for
addressing issues related to the Arctic Region. The members of the
Arctic Council include the eight countries with territory above
the Arctic Circle (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
Sweden, the Russian Federation, and the United States) plus six
Permanent Participants (PP) groups representing the indigenous
people of the Arctic, which include Aleut International
Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich’in Council
International, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Russian Arctic
Indigenous Peoples of the North, and Saami Council. The Arctic
Council is not a treaty-based international organization but
rather an international forum that operates on the basis of
consensus, echoing the peaceful and cooperative nature of the
Arctic Region. The Council focuses its work on matters related to
sustainable development, the environment, and scientific
cooperation; its mandate explicitly excludes military
security. Traditionally, the Council is chaired by the foreign
minister of the country holding the chairmanship. Its day-to-day
work is carried out by the eight Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) and
six PP representatives, with input from working groups, expert
groups, and task forces."<END QUOTE>
Although the mandate of the Arctic Council specifically excludes
military security, Russia claims that an observer state like the UK
must "recognize Arctic States’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and
jurisdiction in the Arctic," and that the UK Foreign Office
specifically committed to doing so in 2013.
From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, Russia and Britain
are not headed for war. Historically, the Russians love the British,
and the British have no particular ill feelings towards any Russians
except Putin and his cadre of officials who are going around poisoning
people on British soil with the nerve agent Novichok. However,
eastern Europe is extremely volatile, and it's possible at some point
that Russia will be involved in a war with Ukraine or other east
European countries, as has happened many times in the past few
centuries. For that reason, Britain's decision to set up a new
military base in northern Norway could be quite significant. Russia Today
and US State Dept. and Arctic Council and Sputnik News (Russia) and Daily Express (London)
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, UK, Russia, Norway,
Novichok, Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal,
Gavin Williamson, Arctic Council
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- UK to challenge Russia in Arctic, at time of tensions over Skripal poisoning
- Russia says that UK violates its commitment to the Arctic Council
****
**** UK to challenge Russia in Arctic, at time of tensions over Skripal poisoning
****
British troops heading for the Arctic (Getty)
At a time when tensions between the UK and Russia are extremely high
because of the poisoning of the March 4 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia,
using a Russia-developed nerve agent Novichok, UK's
defense secretary Gavin Williamson on Sunday announced that British
armed forces will confront Russia in the Arctic.
Williamson said that Russia was reopening Soviet-era bases in the
arctic and he warned that Britain's military must assert itself in the
newly navigable region.
According to Williamson:
<QUOTE>"We see Russian submarine activity very close to the
level that it was at the Cold War, and it's right that we start
responding to that.
If we could turn back the clock 10 years many people thought that
the era of submarine activity in the High North, in the North
Atlantic, and the threat that it posed did disappear with the fall
of the Berlin Wall. This threat has really come back to the fore.
If we want to be protecting our interests in what is effectively
our own back yard, this is something we need to be
doing."<END QUOTE>
Well, the Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago, not ten years, but who's
counting?
Williamson indicated that global warming was exposing Britain
to new military threats from Russia:
<QUOTE>"As the ice melts and new shipping routes emerge, the
significance of the High North and Arctic region increases.
Russia, with more submarines operating under the ice and ambitions
to build over 100 facilities in the Arctic, are staking a claim
and militarising the region. We must be ready to deal with all
threats as they emerge."<END QUOTE>
Britain is planning to open a new military base in the northern part
of Norway and deploy 800 Royal Marine and Army troops to the country
every winter for 10 years from 2019. They are to operate with the US
and Dutch troops there. Together with 3,000 commandos, sent to take
part in the NATO drills, the total number of the deployed troops will
top 40,000. In addition, four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter planes
will patrol Icelandic Skies.
"Our Poseidon aircraft submarine hunters, based in Lossiemouth, will
track Russian submarines. They will keep us safe at home and assist
our NATO allies," said Williamson. That should be reassuring.
Daily Mail (London) and UK Government and Sputnik News (Russia)
****
**** Russia says that UK violates its commitment to the Arctic Council
****
Russia's embassy in London criticized Britain's announcement,
promoting the idea of a threat from Russia. In fact, Russia claims
that Britain is violating its own policy statement as an observer at
the Arctic Council. According to a spokesman:
<QUOTE>"These speculations are yet another attempt to promote
the idea of military build-up in the Arctic under imaginary
pretexts. They run counter to the existing international legal
framework and completely undermine huge efforts undertaken in the
Arctic Council, where the UK is an observer state.
We hope the British media notices the impressive prospects for
trade, economic and infrastructural cooperation in the Arctic and
stops echoing those who can’t wait to engage in saber-rattling in
this part of the globe."<END QUOTE>
According to the US State Department:
<QUOTE>"Established by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996, the
Arctic Council is the preeminent intergovernmental forum for
addressing issues related to the Arctic Region. The members of the
Arctic Council include the eight countries with territory above
the Arctic Circle (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
Sweden, the Russian Federation, and the United States) plus six
Permanent Participants (PP) groups representing the indigenous
people of the Arctic, which include Aleut International
Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich’in Council
International, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Russian Arctic
Indigenous Peoples of the North, and Saami Council. The Arctic
Council is not a treaty-based international organization but
rather an international forum that operates on the basis of
consensus, echoing the peaceful and cooperative nature of the
Arctic Region. The Council focuses its work on matters related to
sustainable development, the environment, and scientific
cooperation; its mandate explicitly excludes military
security. Traditionally, the Council is chaired by the foreign
minister of the country holding the chairmanship. Its day-to-day
work is carried out by the eight Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) and
six PP representatives, with input from working groups, expert
groups, and task forces."<END QUOTE>
Although the mandate of the Arctic Council specifically excludes
military security, Russia claims that an observer state like the UK
must "recognize Arctic States’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and
jurisdiction in the Arctic," and that the UK Foreign Office
specifically committed to doing so in 2013.
From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, Russia and Britain
are not headed for war. Historically, the Russians love the British,
and the British have no particular ill feelings towards any Russians
except Putin and his cadre of officials who are going around poisoning
people on British soil with the nerve agent Novichok. However,
eastern Europe is extremely volatile, and it's possible at some point
that Russia will be involved in a war with Ukraine or other east
European countries, as has happened many times in the past few
centuries. For that reason, Britain's decision to set up a new
military base in northern Norway could be quite significant. Russia Today
and US State Dept. and Arctic Council and Sputnik News (Russia) and Daily Express (London)
Related Articles:
- Britain threatens Russia with retaliation over nerve gas poisoning of Skripal (13-Mar-2018)
- Russia-China strategy to use the UN to control Western foreign policy has stopped working (29-Mar-2018)
- Dutch report confirms that Russian missile shot down airliner over Ukraine (14-Oct-2015)
- Vladimir Putin brags about how he lied about Russia's invasion of Crimea (10-Mar-2015)
- Russia's Putin confirms that he'll appoint Medvedev to be prime minister (16-Dec-2011)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, UK, Russia, Norway,
Novichok, Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal,
Gavin Williamson, Arctic Council
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
