Norway and Russia have long managed to remain “good neighbours” along their border in the far north, also in Arctic waters. Now, however, several foreign policy experts think Norway’s participation in what Russia perceives as threats to its security has played a significant role in current tensions. “Moscow increasingly views the ‘Collective West’ as an […]
‘The risk of a conflict with Russia is real’
January 7, 2022
The foreign ministers of NATO member countries including Norway have rejected Russia’s demands that Ukraine forever be denied membership in the defense alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg claimed “the risk of a conflict is real,” as the Russian military build-up along its border to Ukraine continued this week. Stoltenberg led an extraordinary meeting of […]
Norway boosts its northern defense
December 30, 2021
As sabre-rattling continues between Russia and NATO, Norway has been strengthening its northern defense but also engaging in joint Russian-Norwegian inspections of each other’s military hardware and personnel. The goal, according to the Norwegian military, is to build up confidence in one another, avoid misunderstandings and reduce tensions. The tensions are at their highest point […]
Norway braces for new Russian conflict
December 16, 2021
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has warned there’s grave danger of armed conflict in Eastern Europe, after Russia has placed more than 100,000 soldiers along its border to Ukraine. As a member of NATO, which declared once again on Thursday that it supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to decide over its own territory, Norway […]
Tough talk against China and Russia
October 8, 2021
There’s been lots of criticism directed at both China and Russia in Norwegian media this week, some of it coming from Norway’s own Jens Stoltenberg. He’s in his last year as secretary general of NATO, as speculation swirls whether he’ll eventually come home to be governor of Norway’s central bank. It’s unlikely Stoltenberg, a former […]
Peace Prize hails brave journalists
October 8, 2021
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has formally recognized the role that independent and professional journalism plays in warding off war and conflict. In specifically honouring two of the world’s bravest journalists on Friday, the Oslo-based committee stressed the importance that fact-based freedom of expression has for peace. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will thus be shared […]
Summits can make Norway stronger
June 19, 2021
NEWS ANALYSIS: When Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg walked into the NATO summit in Brussels last week, she’d already gained more backbone for her government’s own delicate dealings with China. New US President Joe Biden’s willingness to confront and criticize power-hungry Chinese leaders at the G7 summit the day before carried over to the subsequent […]
Spy scandal soils Parliament’s leader
May 21, 2021
UPDATED: The president of the Norwegian Parliament, Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen, has been subject to scathing criticism after she made sure that an embarrassing report on Norway’s military intelligence agency was kept secret. She’s supposed to champion openness, but her double vote against declassifying the report helped keep the results of a probe into the agency’s […]
Solberg survives Bergen Engines breakdown
May 21, 2021
Prime Minister Erna Solberg has avoided a lack of confidence vote in Parliament after she and her justice minister, Monica Mæland, apologized for the government’s lack of preparedness regarding the aborted sale of Bergen Engines this spring. That’s mostly because no one wants to unseat her government just 100 days ahead of the September election. […]
US nuclear sub was met by protests
May 10, 2021
The US Navy’s nuclear-power submarine USS New Mexico tied up at a civilian harbour just outside Tromsø in Northern Norway on Monday, to a warm welcome from Norwegian defense forces and protests by angry local residents. The latter fear such sub berthings will make their home a target in the event of war, and that […]
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