Kremlin says Russian Arctic cooperation with China is not aimed against anyone after Pentagon expresses concern

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin on Tuesday said that Russia’s cooperation with China in the Arctic was not aimed against any other country and said U.S. criticism of such work was misplaced.

The Pentagon said in a report on Monday that it feared Moscow and China’s actions in the Arctic could impact regional stability, noting that Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites there while China is eyeing mineral resources and new shipping routes.

“Increasingly, the (People’s Republic of China) and Russia are collaborating in the Arctic across multiple instruments of national power,” the Pentagon’s report said.

“While significant areas of disagreement between the PRC and Russia remain, their growing alignment in the region is of concern, and (the Department of Defense) continues to monitor this cooperation,” it added.

The Kremlin, when asked about the Pentagon report, said on Tuesday that some its contents had a confrontational flavour, and that Russia’s cooperation with China aimed only to foster stability.

“The Arctic is also a strategic area for our country. Russia takes a responsible position and contributes to ensuring that the Arctic does not become a territory of discord and a territory of tension,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“In this regard, Russian-Chinese cooperation in the Arctic zone can only contribute to an atmosphere of stability and predictability in the Arctic.

“Russian-Chinese cooperation is never directed against third countries or groups of third countries, but is aimed only at protecting the interests of these countries (Russia and China)”, Peskov said.

Beijing and Moscow have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Russia seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Andrew Osborn)