UK to double troops in Norway to defend against ‘rising’ Russian threat

LONDON: Britain announced Wednesday it will boost its troops stationed in Norway and play a “vital” role in a NATO Arctic mission in face of “rising Russian threats.”

The UK’s decision to double its troops in Norway from 1,000 to 2,000 in the next three years comes as the US was set to relinquish two top regional NATO command posts to press allies to take greater responsibility for their defense.

“Arctic and High North security will be strengthened against rising Russian threats as Britain steps up its presence in the region,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Defense Secretary John Healey is set to confirm on a visit to a UK military site in northern Norway that British forces will be involved in NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission to bolster security in the region.

European members of the transatlantic alliance have scrambled to boost defenses in the region after US President Donald Trump used alleged threats from Russia and China to justify his repeated threats to seize Greenland.