Russia's ambassador to Canada warned of the risk of an arms race in the Arctic due to Ottawa's reinforcements

Canada's military buildup in the Arctic could increase tensions in the region and provoke a new arms race. This was stated by the Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to the diplomat, in recent years the Canadian authorities have been actively modernizing the defense infrastructure in the north of the country. We are talking, among other things, about the development of surveillance and early warning systems, as well as updating the fleet designed to operate in high latitudes.

Stepanov believes that further militarization of the region could lead to the Arctic turning from a space of cooperation into one of the zones of military-political rivalry. The diplomat called on Ottawa not to provoke an arms race in the North.

In his opinion, the resources that Canada directs to strengthening the military component could be used to develop civilian infrastructure - communications, transport, rescue services and scientific research.

It was previously reported that Canada considers it necessary to build protection against Russian actions in the Arctic.