– Now pure lies are served, says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor).
– The war is in a new phase, and it will take time.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) will participate in the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø.
There she briefed on the security policy situation in Europe.
– The war changes the framework for Norwegian and European foreign and security policy. Russia’s aggression is a threat to European security, says Huitfeldt.
She says it was a challenging decision to provide arms support to Ukraine. It was the first time Norway exported weapons to a country at war since the Cuba case in 1959.
– One should basically stand by the restrictive practice one establishes in peacetime when there is war. But when I saw 18-year-old boys being sent out into the war, I thought it was good that they were given weapons to defend themselves with, says Huitfeldt.
She points out that the situation is particularly difficult for business and people living near the border with Russia.
– It is too early to say how the war will shape our cooperation in the long run, but we must not lose hope that there will come a day when we can once again cooperate across borders, says Huitfeldt.
Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) gave a speech in Tromsø.
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– No mess in reality
The Foreign Minister also spoke about the importance of NATO.
– NATO is not a threat to Putin, but democracy is. The claim that NATO’s growth poses a threat to Russia is Putin’s argument. It has no root in reality, she says.
She emphasizes that NATO is the cornerstone of Norwegian security policy, and does not say no to closer co-operation in the Nordic region.
– We want to welcome Sweden and Finland to NATO, but it is their choice. Putin’s demand that NATO not expand eastward has become an argument for Finland and Sweden to become members of the defense alliance, she says.
Russia has on its side of threatened with countermeasures if Finland and Sweden join NATO.
Comes from Ukraine
In his speech from UiT, the Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke about the consequences of the situation in Europe for the High North.
Tromsø is the first stop for Huitfeldt, after that she visited Ukraine.
– In Kyiv, there are sandbags in front of the windows and in front of the entrances to all official buildings, zigzagging through roadblocks, aircraft alarms, says Huitfeldt.
In Ukraine, she also saw a mass grave. It made an impression on the Foreign Minister.
– I thought we were done with that in Europe, says Huitfeldt.
She believes the war will shape relations with Russia for many years to come.
– It is important to have some contact to ensure sustainable management of resources, says Huitfeldt.
Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt comes straight from Ukraine to Tromsø.
Photo: Roger Sevrin Bruland / NRK
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– We are facing an uncertain time
In his speech, the Foreign Minister emphasized the difficult situation in eastern Finnmark.
– They feed largely on Russian fishing boats. The sanctions are especially demanding for them, says Huitfeldt.
On the other hand, she thinks that the development of new technology in Finnmark is exciting, and thinks it will be very important in the years to come.
– I hope the students in the north find this so exciting that they stay in the region.
But she thinks it is difficult to predict how the cooperation with our neighbor in the east will be in the future.
– We are facing an uncertain time.
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