Government policy on NATO and the High Arctic

There has been a renewed interest in Arctic security as the region moves from being one of “high north, low tension” to an area of increasing geopolitical competition. That shift has been driven by the effects of climate change (such as melting ice and rising sea levels) which has the potential to open up new trade routes and economic opportunities, including increasing access to natural resources such as rare earth minerals.

Cooperation to competition

Since the end of the Cold War, the Arctic states (Russia, the United States, Denmark (Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland) have broadly cooperated on issues such as sustainable development, the environment and scientific research, and have maintained a shared commitment to avoid conflict.

However, cooperation is increasingly under threat as the region takes on greater geopolitical significance, particularly for the major global powers, Russia, China and the United States.

Russian priorities in the Arctic

Russian foreign policy and military doctrine identifies protecting Russia’s national interests in the Arctic as one of its biggest priorities. It has been expanding its military presence in the Arctic for the last two decades, upgrading its military facilities, reconstituting Cold War military bases in the region, and strengthening its Northern Fleet. With the opening up of shipping lanes, Russia has also expressed an interest in developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a competitive trade route.

Many Western governments, including the UK, have identified Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic as one of the main threats in the region.

NATO’s response

NATO says that defence of the Arctic and High North is a strategic imperative for the alliance. The addition of Finland and Sweden to the alliance (in 2023 and 2024 respectively) is widely considered to have strengthened NATO’s geopolitical position in the High North.

President Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, and Arctic security more broadly, has prompted calls from several NATO allies, including the UK, for a new NATO mission in the region (Arctic Sentry) that mirrors NATO’s increased military presence in the Baltic Sea and along the alliances’ eastern flank. That operation was formally launched in February 2026.

UK policy toward the Arctic

The UK is not an Arctic state but considers itself “the nearest neighbour to the Arctic region”. As such, it retains considerable interest in the region. The security of the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap (GIUK) is of particular strategic importance to the UK.

In January 2026, the Foreign Secretary said the region was becoming an “ever more critical frontier for NATO” and that Britain is “stepping up on Arctic security”.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not maintain capabilities or units specifically dedicated to the defence of the High North. However, assets across all three services can be utilised to project force in the High North, as required.

The UK also engages with allies in NATO, through the Joint Expeditionary Force, the Northern Group and the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable to share situational awareness and align activity, including training, in the region.

The UK has committed to increasing its presence in the High North, through the Joint Expeditionary Force and by doubling its presence at Camp Viking in Norway over the next three years. In February 2026, the MOD confirmed that the UK would contribute to NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission and would deploy a Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, to the North Atlantic and the High North later in 2026.

Commons Library research briefings relevant to the debate

UK defence: Renewed interest in the Arctic, CBP-10262, 2 March 2026

Finland: New security outlook, CBP-10499, 13 February 2026

Greenland: Home rule, new international relations and US interest, CBP-10234, 3 February 2026

President Trump and Greenland: Frequently asked questions, CBP-10472, 23 January 2026

Strategic Defence Review 2025: Key points and paper series, CBP-10405, 24 November 2025

Nordic cooperation: What is the Nordic Council? CBP-10375, 24 October 2025

Strategic Defence Review 2025: NATO, CBP-10285, 18 June 2025

What is the Arctic Council? CBP-10261, 14 May 2025

What is the Joint Expeditionary Force? CBP-10074, 6 August 2024

NATO enlargement: Sweden and Finland, CBP-9574, 11 March 2024