Azernews.Az

Russia is "open to mutually beneficial cooperation" with the United States and other Western countries in the Arctic, Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolay Korchunov said on Saturday. He told Ria Novosti that such a move would require a return to "equal dialogue", Azernews reports.

Korchunov commented on the US House introducing a bill to annex Greenland, as well as the Trump administration's insistence on the need to control the territory.

"We believe it is important to maintain a pragmatic attitude in the Arctic, regardless of the course and internal problems of Western states, resolutely defending their national interests in the region," he said.

Previously, Moscow has expressed serious concern over the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) accelerated militarization of the Arctic amid the alliance's calls for increased military support for Greenland, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Responding to a question about NATO's reaction to recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump on Greenland, including the alliance's reported plans for military operations on the island, the ministry said the situation in high latitudes is causing "the gravest concern."

Russia consistently adheres to the position that the Arctic should remain a territory of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation, it said.

As the largest Arctic state, Russia said it makes a significant contribution to the region's development and consistently advocates peace and stability in the North.

It added that it expects a similar approach from other countries and remains open to pragmatic cooperation in the Arctic with partners willing to engage in equal and respectful dialogue.

At the same time, the ministry said it sees no readiness within NATO to address Arctic issues constructively and regards the line pursued by the alliance toward escalating confrontation in the Arctic as "counterproductive and extremely dangerous."