– We are very concerned about the situation. We see that several Russian peaks are in the border areas with Ukraine. At the same time, it is important for us to dampen the tension also through vocabulary on our part, says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt to TV2.
The run-up to the Foreign Ministers’ meeting has been marked by the situation on the border between Ukraine and Russia.
According to NATO, there are currently close to 100,000 Russian soldiers and heavy military equipment in the border areas with Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has previously stated that the Russians have tanks, armed units, electronic warfare systems and combat forces close to the border.
In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.
Ready for sanctions
On the way into the meeting, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg came to Russia with a clear warning.
– WARNING: Jens Stoltenberg came with a clear message to Russia when he arrived at NATO’s Foreign Ministers’ meeting. Photo: Tom Rune Orset / TV 2
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“Russia will pay a high price if the country attacks Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told a group of journalists at the entrance.
He has previously said that an attack will provoke reactions, such as economic and diplomatic sanctions.
On Tuesday, Anniken Huitfeldt attended her first meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers. There she met party colleague Jens Stoltenberg. Both NATO’s Secretary General and Norway’s new Foreign Minister have been leaders of AUF. An organization that for years fought against Norwegian membership, precisely in NATO. It was Stoltenberg as AUF leader, who made the youth organization turn around and give up the fight against NATO membership. When Huitfeldt was AUF leader in the years 1996-2000, the NATO resistance was parked.
Huitfeldt says it is important that everything is done to contribute to less tension on the border between Russia and Ukraine. She says it will have consequences for Russia if the country enters with military forces in Ukraine.
– The Secretary General has indicated sanctions, is Norway prepared for that?
– It is too early to say anything about it now, but we have previously agreed to what are EU sanctions against Russia in connection with the situation in Crimea and in Eastern Ukraine.
– WANTS TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF CONFLICT: At her first NATO meeting as Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt is concerned with reducing the level of tension between Russia and Ukraine. Photo: Tom Rune Orset / TV 2
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Not Article 5 countries
The basis of the NATO alliance is that all countries must stand up for each other. Article five of the NATO Treaty states that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all countries. Article 5 has only been triggered once in NATO’s history, and that was after the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001. Ukraine is one of NATO’s allied countries, but not a member.
– How will NATO treat Ukraine as a non-member country?
– Ukraine is not a member of NATO and is thus not covered by Article 5. At the same time, we have good cooperation with Ukraine so that attacks on Ukraine will have consequences. But right now we are concerned with scaling the situation and not contributing to increased tension, says Huitfeldt.
Tomorrow, NATO will discuss Afghanistan and the collapse that took place in August this year, when NATO forces left the country. The Taliban took control of the country shortly after the Western forces left Afghanistan.
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