Moscow, 28 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to deploy more soldiers in the Arctic, reinforcing Moscow’s military presence in the region.

Speaking at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk on Thursday, Putin urged the Russian government to accelerate the construction and renovation of garrison towns in the polar zone.

"This is, of course, related to strengthening our military component in the region. The number of soldiers here will grow," he said, emphasizing Russia’s need to assert its rights amid what he described as NATO threats.

Putin accused NATO of increasingly viewing the far north as a potential battleground.

"Of course, we are only concerned about the fact that NATO countries are increasingly identifying the far north as a bridgehead for possible conflicts and are rehearsing the use of military under these conditions," he said.

He pointed out that NATO troops from Finland and Sweden would also be deployed in the region, "with whom we had no problems until recently."

Finland and Sweden joined the alliance out of security concerns following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Despite his warnings about NATO, Putin insisted that Russia poses no threat. "Russia is not threatening anyone," he said.

The Kremlin leader also weighed in on US President Donald Trump’s suggestion of taking over Greenland from Denmark.

He warned against dismissing such plans as "extravagant rhetoric from the new American administration," saying they should be taken seriously. However, he described the matter as a bilateral issue between Denmark and the US, unrelated to Russia.

Photo: EPA