Russia has decided to suspend the payment of contributions to the Arctic Council until the intergovernmental organisation resumes its full-scale work.
The Arctic Council, consisting of Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Canada, and the United States, was created to discuss issues affecting the polar region, including pollution, economic development, and search-and-rescue missions.
The Council has previously produced binding agreements on environmental protection and preservation. Still, cooperation between the Western Arctic states and Moscow froze after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. New projects cannot advance, and existing ones cannot be renewed until cooperation is restored. Russia does not intend to leave the Council for now but may consider doing so should it turn into an unfriendly structure.
“This decision will be in place until the council resumes its full-fledged work as well as proper interaction among all its members, including in the project sphere,” Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-At-Large Nikolay Korchunov, who chairs the Arctic Council’s Senior Arctic Officials group, told TASS on February 14.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently informed the media that Russia is still an active member of the Arctic Council. However, he also stated that should this participation no longer be in Russia’s best interests, the country may make “special decisions”.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasised that if the Arctic Council turns into an unfriendly structure, Russia must consider whether it’s worth remaining a part of it.
In addition, Russia’s parliament will vote on February 21 to suspend the country’s participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE), according to Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Russia has used its veto power to paralyse the OSCE since the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Ukraine.
