Denmark, which oversees security around Greenland, has raised the alarm about the increasing risk of a military confrontation in the Arctic, fueled by Russia's threateningly aggressive behavior.
An annual report from the Danish Defense Intelligence Service said security tensions are spreading in the Arctic, with Russia adopting a more risky approach and minimal international cooperation.
"Russia prioritizes the region and will demonstrate strength through aggressive and threatening behavior, which will bring a greater risk of escalation than seen before in the Arctic," the Danish Intelligence report said.
International analysts believe that Russia is expected to reluctantly give China greater access to the Arctic. China, in turn, is likely to use this access to strengthen its role in the region and advance its plans to establish a military presence, the report said.
The Arctic is of considerable strategic military importance as a staging area for nuclear-armed submarines, which can hide beneath the ice and, in the event of a conflict, strike much of North America, Europe and Russia.
The route over the North Pole is also the shortest route between North America and Russia, making it possible for other ballistic missiles to fly over the North Pole to their targets in a possible war scenario.
Greenland, the semi-autonomous peninsula of the Kingdom of Denmark, is home to Pituffik Air Base, an essential component of the early US ballistic missile base system. (A2 Televizion)
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