Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described NATO’s Arctic presence as a direct security threat to Russia, as Moscow seeks to expand trade links with China, India, and other partners through its northern shipping route. In an article published Monday, Aug. 31, on the website of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, Lavrov accused NATO of militarizing the Arctic through exercises and deployments close to Russia’s northern borders.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Such military activity in the Far North constitutes a direct security threat for Russia,” Lavrov wrote, adding that “it also increases the risk of incidents that could trigger an armed confrontation with potentially disastrous consequences.” His comments came after a container ship from China reached Murmansk via the Northern Sea Route on August 19, an event Moscow called a milestone for Arctic shipping. Trade route focus amid EU sanctions As the EU is drafting an expanded sanctions package against Russia that could target up to 1,600 individuals and legal entities, Moscow is increasingly turning to the Northern Sea Route as a way to deepen commercial ties with its partners outside the West. Lavrov called the route a key part of Russia’s proposed Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor. He said Moscow is working with Beijing to increase regular container shipments through Russia’s northern waters, while Indian companies are involved in developing Arctic resources.