Norwegian Defense Minister: NATO expansion will lead to a review of defense policy

01.10.2022 21:21

Norwegian Defense Minister: NATO expansion will lead to a review of defense policy
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NATO expansion through Sweden and Finland will lead to a revision of Norway's defense policy. The focus remains on how exactly this will change the alliance itself and the military planning of the northern states that make up it.

According to the American magazine Breaking Defense, Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram spoke about this.

The alliance is growing and we will see that we now need to rethink our defense planning. We can see where things will change, for example, infrastructure, communication lines. And, of course, we turn our attention to the Far North
Gram said.

He noted that in 2024, the biennial Cold Response exercises held in the Arctic zone, in which about 30 military personnel from 27 countries of Europe and North America participate, will be renamed Nordic Response. Finland and Sweden will become part of their operating area.

On the new geopolitical map, Finland will be presented as the front line of NATO, and Sweden will provide a greater depth of defense. In theory, this could free Norway from having to invest heavily in its forward forces, and instead allow it to reallocate funding to other defense areas.

And although Turkey and Hungary have not yet agreed to the admission of Helsinki and Stockholm to NATO, the leadership of the alliance considers this situation, saying "when", not "if".