NATO Focusing on Russia’s Arctic Threat as Putin Seeks to Dominate Region

NATO does not expect Russia’s costly war in Ukraine to prove a long-term distraction from Moscow’s plan to dominate the Arctic, a senior alliance diplomat has said, as climate change opens new opportunities and poses new risks for the region. James Appathurai, NATO’s deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges, told Newsweek on the sidelines of this weekend’s Helsinki Security Forum in Finland that alliance nations will likely increase their focus on the high north as part of a long-term strategy to counter Russia. Punishing warfare has forced the Kremlin to deploy troops, equipment, and supplies from sensitive areas…