Anti-Russian naval group to expand in Atlantic and Arctic – FT

The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a naval grouping aimed at Russia, is about to expand its posture in the North Atlantic, Arctic, and Baltic regions, Britain's chief of defence staff, Sir Richard Knighton, has told the Financial Times. The countries involved include the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

The newspaper reported on Sunday that parties to the initiative are expected to sign a pact aimed at bolstering the grouping's presence on Tuesday, ahead of the Atlantic Future Forum conference. This marks a significant shift in the alliance's approach to regional security.

Practical Measures Against Submarines

Air Chief Marshal Knighton told the FT that the countries would move 'beyond memorandums of understanding and exchanges and meetings into really practical measures.' He named confronting Russian submarines in those waters among the JEF's key objectives.

The current period is the 'most dangerous' in decades

European Rearmament Drive

The head of the British Armed Forces argued that in the face of the US long-term pivot toward the Asia-Pacific region, European countries need to step up their rearmament drive. With this in mind, the UK government has to find ways to sell increased military spending to the British public, Knighton told the FT.

In March, former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened to seize Russian oil tankers, forcing Moscow to start deploying frigates to escort them. This escalation follows previous tensions between the two nations.

Russian Response

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed as 'nonsense' allegations that it harbors aggressive plans against NATO, with Russian officials sounding the alarm over the rapid militarization of the Arctic by Western nations. Moscow controls more than half of the coastline in the region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov similarly accused NATO of 'driving the region towards militarization,' warning that these developments could trigger an armed confrontation with 'potentially disastrous consequences.'