The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed dissatisfaction with the growing militarization of the Svalbard archipelago

Moscow has expressed alarm over the build-up of Norway's military presence in the Svalbard archipelago. The Russian side informed the kingdom's ambassador to the Russian Federation, Robert Quila, about this during a working meeting on March 14, according to the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Foreign Ministry noted that Oslo's actions contradict the Svalbard Treaty of 1920, which provides exclusively for the peaceful use of the archipelago.

The Russian side called for abandoning steps that contribute to escalating tensions in the region.

"Moscow called on the Norwegian side to abandon any activity that undermines the international legal foundations of the archipelago regime and contributes to the introduction of Svalbard into the territory," the ministry said.

Earlier, on March 13, Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Department of European Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that NATO poses additional threats to Russia's security in the Arctic. As Maslennikov pointed out, the North Atlantic Alliance plans to engage in military training activities near Russia's northern borders.