interiew to the EU’s new Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Michael Mann

The EU’s new Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Michael Mann has watched Russia build up its military presence and China plant its economic ambitions in the high north — but he reckons climate change is still the biggest threat. It’s “clear” Russia and the EU have their differences, Mann told POLITICO’s Sarah Cammarata in an interview, but the Arctic has historically been a place where the two have cooperated. “I think one should avoid looking for flare-ups and tension where they don’t exist,” he said. “That’s not to say that there won’t be in the future, but at the moment, things are running smoothly in my opinion.” Full interview here.