U.K. interests in the Arctic are vulnerable to Russia, lawmakers warn

"Glaring gaps" in the United Kingdom's Arctic defenses are leaving it and NATO vulnerable to attacks from Russia, British lawmakers said in a parliamentary report published Thursday.

The group urged the British government to "urgently address" gaps in maritime forces, particularly with the U.S. acting "more unilaterally in the region." 

"This is a demanding, hostile environment, and one that our greatest adversary, Russia, is seeking to dominate for military advantage," Tan Dhesi, Chair of the Commons Defense Committee, wrote. 

The committee said that a "shockingly low availability" of Royal Navy submarines and warships means critical infrastructure, such as underwater cables and energy supplies, are exposed to potential Russian attacks.  

"Russia can then use the ice to conceal and protect its own submarines while threatening NATO sea lanes, U.K. critical infrastructure and the U.K.'s nuclear deterrent," the report added.

The report urged Canada and European NATO allies to "take more responsibility for defence of their interests in the High North." 

Like European NATO countries, the United Kingdom lacks "some critical military capabilities that it has largely relied on the U.S. to provide, such as ballistic missile defence, long range strike and intelligence and surveillance assets, which will take considerable investment and time to replicate." 

"If the U.K. is to lead an effective coalition," the report continued, "it must address glaring gaps in the availability of its current maritime forces and ensure it has an agreed plan, integrated with European allies in the region, to deter and, if necessary, defeat any aggression in the High North from 2030."

'To deter war we must be ready for it'

Former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned in June that Russia could attack NATO countries by the end of the decade.

Conservative shadow minister for war readiness Stuart Anderson said that if Starmer's predictions are accurate, "time is just as important as money." 

"To deter war we must be ready for it, that means spending money now, not kicking the can down the road until it's too late," Anderson said.