The unpredictable US President Donald Trump seemed to be on his best behaviour when he welcomed Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Trump’s “old friend” Jens Stoltenberg to the White House on Thursday. Trump was friendly and hospitable, and their talks went into overtime as Norway continued to urge respect and support for Ukraine.
That wasn’t at all like the Trump who yelled at and tried to humiliate Ukraine’s otherwise highly respected president Volodomyr Zelensky during their meeting at the White House earlier this year. Trump seemed to have genuine respect for both Støre, his finance minister Jens Stoltenberg (the former secretary general of NATO) and their entourage led by Norway’s ambassador to the US, Anniken Huitfeldt.
“I love Norway,” claimed Trump during his introductory remarks as top members of his cabinet settled down for lunch with their Norwegian guests. “It’s beautiful. We have a great relationship. I’m glad you’re here.”
Trump even referred to Støre as “the great prime minister of the Kingdom of Norway,” and said it also was “a pleasure to have my old friend” Stoltenberg at the table as well. Stoltenberg is now Norway’s finance minister in Støre’s Labour Party government and managed to get along with Trump during his NATO years.
It’s unusual for an ultra-conservative politician like Trump to be so welcoming to leaders of a government with such different egalitarian and social democratic values as Norway’s. Social democracy is not high on Trump’s agenda, yet he called it an “honour” to host his guests from Norway, now one of the wealthiest countries in the world because it has saved and invested most of the proceeds from its offshore oil and gas industry.
After various pleasantries Trump and his guests then plunged into more than an hour of talks over lunch that seemed to be in line with Støre’s agenda, topped by security and defense issues, Russia’s war on Ukraine and trade policy. Støre and Stoltenberg made it clear that more than half of Norway’s huge sovereign wealth fund known as the Oil Fund is invested in US companies. Trump respects wealth, and Stoltenberg (who was Norway’s prime minister when the oil fund was established 30 years ago, to stash away the offshore oil industry’s revenues for future generations) offered to help the US set up its own such fund.
Their conversation quickly moved over to Russia’s war on Ukraine, with the Norwegians seeking ongoing support for Ukraine and making it clear that it was Russia that attacked and invaded Ukraine and that such aggression must be stopped. “We need to have a ceasefire, and on that we will work together,” Støre said.
“I have my own deadline,” said Trump, whom many view as mystifyingly uncritical of Russian President Vladimir Putin who launched the war, first with his takeover of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and then through his botched invasion of Ukraine three years ago. The Ukrainians have fought hard to defend themselves but the war drags on, with Russia bombing the capital of Kyiv again during the night just before the Norwegians arrived in Washington. Trump himself had criticized Russia’s latest bombing spree, calling on the Russian president to stop it.
Støre seized the opportunity to state during a press briefing in the Oval Office after his talks with Trump that “Ukraine is under attack, they’re defending thjemselves,” most recently just the night before when Russian bombed both Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing and injuring scores of civilians. Støre also stressed how Russia’s war on Ukraine was “bad for Europe and bad for the whole world.” Stoltenberg, who stayed on at NATO beyond his contract date to deal with Russia’s war on Ukraine, also stressed that “we need to continue to support Ukraine.” Trump listened but made no promises.
Their talks with Trump also included trade issues, after Trump launched a trade war that’s sent markets tumbling and threatens to slow economic growth all over the world. Trump initially slapped Norway with a new tariff of 16 percent and then lowered it to 10 percent before backing down and postponing implementation of all his new and largely condemned new tariffs for 90 days. Asked whether he’d lower his new tariff against Norway, Trump noted that Norway is a wealthy country, “they have a great (sovereign wealth) fund and no debt, so I think they can pay something.” Details weren’t revealed, but both Støre and Stoltenberg argued that tariffs hinder international trade and can thus hinder economic growth.
Despite the disagreements, Trump claimed the US “has a good relation” with Norway, “maybe better than ever.” Støre invited Trump to visit Norway and Trump described Norway as “beautiful and well-run.” Støre told reporters later that “it’s important to spend time talking to the US,” and said he thought he and his delegation had a good meeting with Trump, characterizing it as “very relaxed” and with an “informal tone” that resulted in “a very good conversation.”
Støre, a former foreign minister with lots of experience in various international peace talks, also said that “what we agreed on, was that the war must stop,” adding that he, his Norwegian delegation and many others in Europe think the US must put more pressure on Russia “and engage themselves more clearly.”
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
