China and Russia's naval 'Arctic alliance' poses chilling threat to the West, Pentagon warns
6 December 2024, 11:05
Russian and Chinese militaries are joining forces in the Arctic in a disturbing move that could threaten the West from the North, the Pentagon has warned.
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Iris Ferguson, the US’ deputy assistant secretary of defence, has raised the alarm as China and Russia gear up for more military activity in the area.
It comes after Beijing and Moscow’s troops conducted joint operations off the coast of Alaska in July.
Ferguson said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington: “This kind of increasing levels of military cooperation is new.”
The US could hold more military drills as a deterrent, Ferguson said, as the Pentagon continues to keep a watchful eye on China’s new interest in the region.
She said: "[China] is one of the newer entrants on the scene.
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"Over time, the strategic interests that they have in the region are … giving us pause. How their long-term vision for the region could affect our interests, is [also] giving us pause."
Russia, meanwhile, has long had an interest in the Arctic. It has not died down despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ferguson said: "We're seeing Russia continue to have immense focus on the Arctic region, and it's part of their … security calculus, vis-a-vis the U.S. and NATO.
“Despite the attrition in Ukraine, we still see them ... heavily focused on the region."
Just 55 miles separate Alaska and Russia at the narrowest point of the Bering Strait, helping to explain why the US is turning its attention to the potential threat from Chinese and Russian military forces.
While the majority of the Western world has criticised Russia for its war in Ukraine, Beijing has held a more neutral position.
It has also been accused of providing Russia with weapons, such as military drones to assist with its war efforts.
China has repeatedly denied these allegations, but has continued to trade extensively with Russia since it first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, reaching a record $240 billion (£191 billion) in 2023, a 64% rise since 2021.
