In 2016, the UK Foreign Office explored the possibility of buying land on the Svalbard archipelago to deter Russia in the Arctic.
This was stated by the former deputy head of the Foreign Office (2014-2017) Tobias Ellwood in an interview with the i newspaper, part of the Daily Mail and General Trust media group.
„The issue of Arctic security was raised when Boris Johnson was Foreign Secretary, and I was his deputy. I tried to persuade him to buy land on Svalbard. It’s a group of islands that are quite important from a strategic point of view. We were ahead of our time, but the civil service and others disagreed with us,” he said. Ellwood noted that Britain “would benefit from having resources there to monitor” Russian activities in the region.
“For a number of reasons, it made sense for us to establish a base there. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Norway is a close ally, there’s no doubt about that, but it was a wonderful opportunity that we missed. “That’s why Trump wants to buy Greenland”, the former politician said.
According to i, London has been considering buying a plot of land in the southwest of Spitsbergen, which was put up for sale in 2016 by a private owner. Chinese businessmen showed interest in the property, but it was eventually sold to the Norwegian authorities for 26 million euros.
The British Foreign Office did not deny discussions about buying land on the archipelago in 2016. The publication noted that in 2024 another plot of land on Spitsbergen was put up for sale, but at that time the Foreign Office was no longer discussing this topic. The current Labour government of the United Kingdom believes that the purchase would not give London a strategic advantage, since according to the Treaty of Spitsbergen of 1920, the archipelago is a demilitarized zone.
The Treaty of Spitsbergen was concluded in Paris in 1920. To date, it has been ratified by more than 40 countries. According to its provisions, Norway's sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago is established, but the countries participating in the treaty, including Russia, receive equal rights to exploit its territorial waters and natural resources.
Ed Arnold, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said that purchasing land on Svalbard would give Britain the status of an Arctic power and pave the way for joining the Arctic Council as a participant, rather than an observer, as it is currently. At the same time, he admitted that from a military point of view, this step would not make sense.
Ellwood stressed that “the importance of the Arctic is increasing due to the melting of the ice“. The Arctic will become even more lively. This is a new phenomenon that is unfolding before our eyes. Russia hastened to stick its flags into the sea, declaring territorial claims. Ultimately, this is a test for NATO because it is a new geographical area that we have not yet explored. Russia is advancing at an incredible speed,“ he said.
On May 28, the “Daily Telegraph“ newspaper reported, citing sources, that Britain could permanently deploy its troops in the Arctic in view of Russia's growing presence in the region.
The publication notes that the Royal Armed Forces could be present in the Arctic in the same way as in Estonia, where about 1,000 British soldiers are deployed as part of a multinational NATO battalion. It is assumed that the contingent will be deployed on the territory of Norway.