1/9/17
There were few conciliatory signals in Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen’s speech delivered this Sunday at the Norwegian Military Society. The tone was sharp and the picture dark. According to the minister, the world is getting more and more unstable and Russia carries a key part of the blame. "The concern number one is Russia. We see a more clear kind of seriousness connected with our neighbor in the East," Bakke-Jensen underlined to an audience of top military officials and defense experts. The defense minister’s annual speech in the Military Society has always had a high focus on neighboring Russia. But this year, the message appeared to be more direct and outspoken than before. According to Bakke-Jensen, Russia deliberately seeks to degrade and undermine western unity and international cooperation. It uses military and economic force to subdue others while diplomacy and political solutions are downplayed. Since the annexation of the Crimea, Russia has acted with confrontation towards western countries and institutions, the defense minister said. "These changes in behavior directly affect Norwegian and allied security," he underlined. "By and large, the developments in our surroundings illustrate that we have to take into account that armed conflict between states in Europe is no longer unthinkable."
The speech was held as Norway increasingly teams up with the U.S in the north. Since early 2017, more than 300 U.S marines have been deployed on rotational basis in Værnes, near Trondheim, in central Norway. In late 2018, another 400 soldiers from U.S 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, were deployed north of the Arctic Circle in the Setermoen military camp. At the same time, American authorities have decided to re-establish the U.S. 2nd Fleet, a force that will have a key focus on the North Atlantic and the Arctic. According to Frank Bakke-Jensen it is the growing role of NATO that is the answer to the geopolitical situation in the north. A strong national defense within the frames of alliance is the basis for Norwegian national security and defense policy and the USA remains the country’s closest ally, he underlined. According to the Norwegian government, defense spending has over the last five years increased with about 30 percent. And that growth is due to continue, Bakke-Jensen said. Norway is eager to boost the role of NATO in the North and sees the recent major allied exercise Trident Juncture as a signal that the alliance is moving towards the region. «This is something we have been working for for many years,» the defense minister underlined.
