Norway's defence minister, Tore Sandvik, said NATO is under strain from the Greenland dispute but warned allies must remain focused on Russia, which is expanding its Arctic military presence. He described the current period as "demanding" and stressed that Russia remains NATO's primary strategic threat. Sandvik highlighted Norway's monitoring of the Kola Peninsula, which holds about two-thirds of Russia's second‑strike nuclear capability and hosts the Northern Fleet's submarines.
NATO Strained by Greenland Row, But Allies Must Keep Focus on Russia, Norway's Defence Minister Warns
Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik poses for a picture at the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo, Norway, March 19, 2025. REUTERS/Gwladys Fouche
OSLO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Norway's defence minister warned on Wednesday that, while NATO is under strain from the dispute over Greenland, Western allies must not lose sight of their primary strategic challenge: an increasingly assertive Russia in the Arctic.
Tore Sandvik told foreign correspondents in Oslo that the alliance was facing demanding times. "These are demanding times. The situation in NATO is difficult," he said, adding:
"The principal threat for the West, for NATO, for all members of NATO, remains Russia."
Sandvik's comments come amid growing tensions within the Western military alliance caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's persistent efforts to press Denmark — and by extension NATO — over a proposal to purchase Greenland. Trump was due to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos later on Wednesday, where he was expected to raise the issue again.
Arctic Focus: Norway and Russia
Norway and Russia share a land border in the Arctic, and Norway closely monitors Russian military activity on the Kola Peninsula. The peninsula hosts roughly two-thirds of Russia's second-strike nuclear capability — the forces intended to ensure a retaliatory nuclear response — and is home to the Northern Fleet, based in Severomorsk.
The Northern Fleet operates six of Russia's 12 nuclear-armed submarines. Its only access to the North Atlantic is through the relatively shallow Barents Sea, between the Svalbard archipelago and northern Europe's coastline — a strategic maritime corridor that Norway watches closely.
Sandvik emphasized that, despite political disagreements among allies, NATO's collective security posture must remain focused on deterring and responding to Russia's growing military presence in the High North.
(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo; editing by Terje Solsvik)
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