State Duma Defense Committee member Andrei Kolesnik said NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic could trigger a direct conflict with Russia. He did not rule out the possibility that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in such a scenario.
Kolesnik argued that the Arctic could become a theater where nuclear weapons are involved from the outset because a significant part of Russia’s nuclear potential is concentrated there. He described the region as one of the country’s key nuclear strongholds.
According to the lawmaker, the Arctic is too strategically important for any large-scale confrontation there to remain limited to conventional weapons. In his assessment, a serious escalation could quickly bring nuclear capabilities into play.
Kolesnik also accused NATO of trying to pressure Russia through military exercises and information campaigns. He said one of the alliance’s goals is to weaken Moscow’s position in the Arctic.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously said NATO openly views the Arctic as a new direction for containing Russia and its partners. According to him, the alliance’s actions create additional threats to Russian security and increase the risk of armed confrontation.
Lavrov also said sanctions and threats would not force Russia to change course. He warned that Moscow would respond to hostile actions with measures that could include asymmetric steps.