MOSCOW - Western policy of promoting fear over purported Russian threats in the Arctic has demonstrated its failure, said Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolai Korchunov.

"The policy ... pursued by Western countries has demonstrated its complete failure, backfiring in the Greenland context as a boomerang against its initiators in Europe," said the Russian diplomat, according to RIA Novosti on Saturday.

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Korchunov said Russia is closely monitoring NATO's frequent activities in the Arctic. He said NATO's presence in any region does not enhance security but instead exacerbates regional tensions.

According to media reports, Britain and Germany were leading discussions among several European countries on strengthening their military presence in Greenland, including the establishment of a joint task force known as Arctic Sentinel.

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the Arctic Sentinel plan constitutes yet another provocation by Western countries in the Arctic region. Any actions that disregard Russia's interests in the Arctic would have negative consequences, she said, adding that Russia would respond accordingly.