Scotland on the 'front line' of Trump-Putin tensions, says defence expert

Scotland is on the “front line” of US-Russian tensions, a defence expert has claimed.

Former chair of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think-tank Sir David Lidington said Scotland's position in the North Atlantic and reliance on offshore energy meant it was vulnerable to incursions from the Russian navy and airforce.

It comes after three US special forces aircraft landed at Wick John O'Groats airport in Caithness last week before seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker accused of sanctions busting.

Donald Trump has threatened to take Greenland by force | Alex Wong/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has increased his threats to take over Greenland this week, saying the Danish autonomous territory could be taken by force.

Asked if Scotland was on the front line, Mr Lidington told said: "If you think about Russian naval ships, where their spy ships were mapping subsea internet links into the UK recently, if you look at where Russian aircraft are probing airspace, it's Scotland that's most directly affected, very much in front line.

"A station like RAF Lossiemouth is absolutely critical in our defence. The Clydeside naval complex, as well as being a huge asset to Scottish employment and living standards, is absolutely vital to the security of the whole of UK and NATO.

"We should be concerned about it. I very much hope our Prime Minister and other leaders are talking to the White House directly, but also players in American politics."

Lidington is former Tory MP who served as RUSI chair from 2020-25.

He warned the US was taking an increasingly "nationalistic and transactional" approach when it comes to foreign affairs.

He added: "Where Trump is right is that it's a real threat. Arctic ice is melting, Russian and Chinese vessels will be able to sail around the north of Asia, through the Arctic Ocean, and down into the North Atlanric.

"And then they pose a threat to energy inter-connecters, to subsea cables carrying vital internet traffic across the Atlantic.

"If you think about the waters around Scotland and the energy inter-connecters linking up the offshore oil and gas stations, the offshore windfarms, the internet, you can see that risk is real."

He continued: “The United States, I'm afraid, we can't trust in the way we have for the last 80 years since Hitler declared war on America in 1941.

"We're seeing an American approach to national interest and foreign policy that is much more nationalistic and transactional."

SNP First Minister John Swinney tried to play down the the part the tiny Caithness Airport had played in last week’s seizure by claiming the aircraft may not have been involved.

Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba asked Mr Swinney for assurances that Scottish Government infrastructure "is not being used as a staging post to violate international law".

The SNP leader said: "The incident involving the tanker - I have, and the Government has, no knowledge as to whether or not aircraft that landed at Wick airport on the morning of January 7 were involved in that initiative. We have no knowledge on whether that is the case or not.

"What I can tell Parliament, for transparency, is that Wick airport is regularly used by aircraft to refuel to make journeys across the Atlantic and in to the Arctic areas. Highlands and Island Airports do not scrutinise the basis on which any requests for landing are made in these circumstances.

"But I stress, Highlands and Island Airports do not have any knowledge of whether the aircraft that landed yesterday were used in the US/UK operation against the Russian tanker."