Russia said on Wednesday it was challenging Norway’s work with other North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, warning that Norway’s efforts to build up its military in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this year would likely be the death knell for Oslo-Moscow relations. to proceed. “Oslo is now among the most active supporters of NATO’s involvement in the Arctic,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, according to TASS. “We view such developments near the Russian border as a deliberate pursuit by Oslo of a disastrous course towards the escalation of tensions in the Euro-Arctic region and the eventual destruction of Russian-Norwegian relations.” In her statement, Zakharova also warned that any further “unfriendly actions will be followed by a timely and adequate response.” News of Russia’s complaints about Norway comes just a day after Norway raised its military alert level in response to suspicious drone sightings. Norway has arrested several Russians, including a son of an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and accused them of illegally flying drones in Norwegian airspace or taking pictures in restricted areas as there are many concerns about possible Russian attacks on vital infrastructure. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre warned Russia to stop it, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. NATO countries should be wary of Russian aggression in light of the war in Ukraine, Støre warned on Monday. “Today, we have no reason to believe that Russia will want to involve Norway or any other country directly in the war,” Støre said. “But the war in Ukraine makes it necessary for all NATO countries to be more careful.” Putin parades new missile nightmare in latest warning to West Norway has hosted exercises in the past and has long hosted rotating deployments of US troops for training in the Arctic. Russia’s announcement comes weeks after the US Air Force participated in an Arctic integration combat training exercise with NATO allies and the Royal Norwegian Air Force at Norway’s Ørland Central Air Station, according to the US Department of Defense. The allies worked to rapidly deploy weapons platforms and systems to try to deter Russia along NATO’s eastern flank. The story continues “The bottom line is that together, we can better defend not only Norway and the Nordic countries, but also Europe if the need arises,” said Col. Martin Tesley, the commander of the 132nd Airlift Wing. The US Air Force’s 90th Fighter Squadron deployed for the exercise was also able to work with the Air Force from Finland, which is in the process of joining NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow’s warning appeared to be just the latest Russian effort to assert its own narrative as its relations with countries across Europe and the West continue to deteriorate. It is not the first time that Russia has tried to raise red flags about what it sees as provocative action by European countries and NATO cooperation. Moscow warned before invading Ukraine this year that it viewed the expansion of NATO membership – which was established to counter threats from the Soviet Union – as a threat to Russia. The Kremlin argued that Ukraine’s interest in joining the military alliance posed a threat to Russia, a claim it had repeated in recent days. This Russian Spy ‘Socialite’ Used Chintzy Jewelry to Infiltrate NATO in Italy, Bellingcat Reports Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine and European nations is “the most serious political security situation we have experienced in several decades,” Støre stressed. Norway has been working to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s invasion since the beginning of the war. The country has imposed sanctions on the Russian government in an attempt to get Moscow to back down from the war and had provided military aid to Ukraine. The aid includes an air defense system, Mistral surface-to-air missiles, thousands of anti-tank missiles, protective equipment such as bulletproof vests and helmets and armored vehicles. Oslo has also sought to increase its military budget. Just last month, Norway proposed boosting its defense budget for next year by almost 10 percent, according to Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram. A portion of the increase is devoted to weapons for Ukraine’s defense against Russia. “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a threat to the security of Norway and Europe. The war has already had significant political, economic and humanitarian security consequences,” Gram said. “The need for military support in Ukraine is necessary, extensive and time-critical. This budget strengthens the Armed Forces and defends Ukraine.” Norway also helps train Ukrainian soldiers alongside the UK and has pledged to provide Ukraine with over $1.1 billion (in USD) in financial aid over the next two years. Norway isn’t the only nation Russia has protested in recent days. At the end of last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow sees no point in maintaining diplomatic relations with Western states. Lavrov noted that Russia would like to focus its global diplomacy on countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, rather than working with the West. “We will shift the ‘center of gravity’ to countries that are ready to work with us on equal and mutually beneficial terms and look for promising joint projects,” Lavrov said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast’s biggest scandals and scandals straight to your inbox. Register now. Stay informed and get unlimited access to the Daily Beast’s unparalleled reporting. Register now.
