EU leaders gathered in northern Finland recently for a summit focused on reaffirming the importance of the Arctic region to European security. The meeting, which took place in the city of Rovaniemi, came a month before the EU is expected to release its updated Arctic policy.

This will be the first update since 2021, during which time the geopolitical climate has undergone considerable change. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, for example, the work of the Arctic Council was put on hold.

The seven other Arctic states had previously used this forum to engage with Moscow directly, using it to exchange information and promote cooperation on issues such as environmental protection and development in the region.

Russia has stepped up its military, economic and strategic activities in the region over the intervening years.

On September 10, it was reported that a joint operation between the UK, US and Norway earlier in 2026 successfully disrupted Russian vessels simulating the deployment of a weapon designed to disable undersea cables near the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

Russia has also deployed an underwater surveillance network in recent years made up of cables, sensors and sonar to detect Nato submarines in Arctic waters. The Northern Fleet, which is responsible for Russia’s nuclear defence, is based on the Kola Peninsula near the border with Norway.

At the same time, Russia’s........

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