- UK working with allies to tackle growing threats in the Arctic, and drive forward an ambitious new UK-Norway defence agreement
- New scheme to improve monitoring capability in High North to detect hostile activity, enshrining the UK’s security – the foundation of the Plan for Change
- UK sanctions have halted Putin’s plans to station a floating repair dock in the Arctic to service the precious icebreakers fleet.
The UK is stepping up its efforts to safeguard national security by leveraging AI to detect hostile state activity in the Arctic, the Foreign Secretary will announce during a visit to the Arctic today (27 May 2025).
As the UK’s two nearest Arctic neighbours and close NATO allies, what happens around Norway and Iceland affects Britain, especially our national security, the foundation of this government’s Plan for Change.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy will see first-hand how British and Norwegian ships jointly patrol the high seas of the Arctic to detect, deter and manage increasingly sophisticated subsea threats to energy, critical national infrastructure, and security posed by Russia’s Northern Fleet.
This comes after the Prime Minister visited Norway earlier this month for a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force, where he discussed further support for Ukraine with allies from the Baltic and Scandinavian states.
While in Iceland, the Foreign Secretary will announce a new UK-Iceland scheme to use cutting edge AI technology to monitor hostile activity in the region.
As global temperatures rise and ice caps continue to melt, previously inaccessible shipping routes are opening up. This is leading to the Arctic becoming an increasingly contested area, with countries looking to exploit new reserves of gas, oil and natural minerals, fuelling security concerns.
Areas close to the Arctic are also being used by Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreakers which are crucial to Putin’s High North ambitions, clearing paths for tankers helping fund his illegal war in Ukraine. This threatens maritime security and the environment, as Putin has resorted to using dodgy and decaying vessels which frequently break down increasing the risk of oil spills.
UK sanctions have helped halt Putin’s plans to station a floating repair dock in the Arctic to service the precious icebreakers fleet.
A tug boat – the Vengery – had been due to tow the platform, but its journey to the High North has now been halted after being sanctioned last week.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:
The Arctic is becoming an increasingly important frontier for geopolitical competition and trade, and a key flank for European and UK security.
We cannot bolster the UK’s defence and deliver the Plan for Change without greater security in the Arctic. This is a region where Russia’s shadowfleet operates, threatening critical infrastructure like undersea cables to the UK and Europe, and helping fund Russia’s aggressive activity.
It’s more important than ever that we work with our allies in the High North, like Norway and Iceland, to enhance our ability to patrol and protect these waters. That’s why we have today announced new UK funding to work more closely with Iceland, using AI to bolster our ability to monitor and detect hostile state activity in the Arctic.
Norway has hosted British troops’ Arctic training for more than fifty years. Our long history of defence collaboration is being taken further through a strategic agreement to strengthen both nations’ security.
David Lammy will be the first Foreign Secretary to travel to one of the Arctic’s northernmost inhabited points when he visits the Archipelago of Svalbard witnessing how UK scientists are collaborating with Norway and partners to tackle climate change which is driving new geo-political challenges and opening new frontiers for state competition.
Today, this work is being taken further, with new opportunities for early-career researchers on polar research vessels and at Ny Ålesund, where British scientists have been based for over 30 years. £400,000 of UK funding will support work to understand the impact of climate change and how it affects the UK – ensuring we have resilience against its effects. This follows 21 joint research projects made between the UK and Iceland during the past 18 months to strengthen our understanding of the arctic’s future.
During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will highlight the UK’s role in securing NATO’s northern flank and protecting the region’s critical undersea infrastructure such as cables and pipelines which are crucial for stable energy supplies and telecommunications in the UK.
Earlier this year the Prime Minister announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War as a result of the changing global picture, now reaching 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, and with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament subject to economic and fiscal conditions.
Maritime security and the Arctic also feature in the UK’s ambitious new Security and Defence Partnership with the EU agreed last week, committing to work together to make Europe safer.
In Iceland, the Foreign Secretary will visit Keflavik Air Base, where RAF jets have supported NATO air policing missions, ensuring the safety and security of Arctic airspace. He will learn how Icelandic scientists are working with their British counterparts to address climate change in vulnerable countries around the world.
