Conservative British politicians warn Russia over its military expansion in the Arctic

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said the UK would respond vigorously to Russian activity, including in the Arctic.

Two top British politicians speaking at a political conference over the weekend said the nation would push back firmly against Russian military encroachment in the Europe and the Arctic.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned Russia on Sunday that it would pay a high price for its actions if it sought to intimidate Britain and flout international rules.

[The UK’s new Arctic policy is more explicit — but still conservative]

Britain has accused two men it says are officers from Russia’s GRU military intelligence service of carrying out an attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain earlier this year using a military-grade nerve agent.

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson told the governing Conservative Party’s annual conference that Britain will be launching a new defense strategy in the Arctic to respond to Russia’s increasing military activity in new shipping routes in the region.

[Russian military tests newly deployed coastal defense system in Arctic]

800 new marines will be training each year in Norway and aircraft submarine hunters will track down Russian submarines as part of the strategy, Williamson said.