By INS Contributors

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: US claims to new territories in the Arctic are a “grab,” said Bloomberg columnist Liam Denning, commenting on Washington’s decision to announce the expansion of its own part of the continental shelf in the Arctic. 
 
It occupies an area primarily in the Arctic and Bering Sea, an area of growing strategic importance also claimed by Canada and Russia.
 
“America’s unilateral seizure of about 380 thousand square miles (984,195 square kilometers - Ed.) of the seabed is a worrying omen for the whole world,” - the journalist warned.
 
According to the observer, the gift in the form of a new territory that the United States gave itself for Christmas 2023 is equivalent in size to Texas along with the state of New Mexico.
 
Interest in the Arctic territory is growing as demand for critical minerals for clean energy and defense purposes increases, the journalist concluded.
 
Earlier, the head of the international committee of the Russian Federation Council, Grigory Karasin, said that Russia is taking all necessary measures to maintain its national interests in the Arctic. The senator also noted that the State Department's statements on this matter are worthless, because "this is the aggressive essence of the United States, which has been manifested for more than 200 years."
 
In turn, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, stated that the West is increasing its military presence in the high latitudes of the Arctic and developing military infrastructure. 
 
At the same time, Russia stationed its troops there not to demonstrate force, but to ensure the security of economic development of the region, including navigation in the waters of the Northern Sea Route and the implementation of projects in the field of exploration and production of natural resources, he explained.