Britain will send 800 troops to the Arctic to stop Russia grabbing land as the ice caps melt, Gavin

[jpak]

Britain will send 800 troops to the Arctic to stop Russia grabbing land as the ice caps melt, Gavin Williamson says

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/09/29/uk-sending-800-troops-arctic-warning-shot-russia/

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said ministers were drawing up a new strategy which will see hundreds of commandos being deployed to Norway to deal with the growing threat from Russia "in our back yard".

He said Russia had been re-opening Soviet bases not used in years, and an increased submarine activity in the area meant that Britain had to protect its own interests.

Ministers are worried that as the Arctic ice melts, Russia's President Putin will try to grab land and intensify its activity there. Climate change has also sparked a rush to tap into oil reserves there.

Mr Williamson told the Sunday Telegraph: "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.

<more>

[dalton99a]

1. Putin wants to put a toll booth on the Arctic shipping routes

"It is Russian territory!!!"

[FakeNoose]

2. We should be doing this in conjunction with Britain

We've got way more nuclear submarines than the Brits do. Why should the Russians be allowed to grab all that oil in the Arctic region? Actually Canada should be involved in this too, why wouldn't it be a joint effort with the US, Canada and Britain?

[jpak]

4. We have 700 of Marines stationed in Norway

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/12/politics/us-marines-norway-russia-tensions/index.html

[KT2000]

5. The US Navy has been preparing for years

It is updated periodically. Interesting read. The Navy just finished a facility for sub personnel in our town in the NW corner of Washington state.
They have been preparing for climate change for years.

https://www.navy.mil/docs/USN_arctic_roadmap.pdf

[FakeNoose]

6. +++ Thanks for this!

It's quite an eye-opener to non-military people such as myself.

[RainCaster]

3. We have to remove the Russian servant from the White House first

DFT won't do anything that might offend his boyfriend.