Recommendation 5

The UK Government should continue to be proactive in considering how the UK’s defence and security priorities in the North Atlantic and the High North may change in the future, in response to the changing geopolitical context and the effects of climate change. In its response to this report, the UK Government should set out its most recent assessment of these challenges. Among the most important issues the UK Government must consider are: • increasing Russian belligerence; • growing Chinese interest in Arctic politics; • the opening of new sea routes and the potential for increased maritime traffic as a consequence; • increasing resource competition; and • the vulnerability of offshore and subsea infrastructure. Defence in Scotland: the North Atlantic and the High North 41 Regardless of how the UK’s priorities in the region evolve, it is likely Scotland as part of the UK will continue to play a prominent role in meeting those aims.