The United Kingdom and Norway began negotiations on Thursday on a defense agreement aimed at protecting against threats from Russia in the Arctic.
This was reported by Politico.
British Defense Secretary John Healey met with his Norwegian counterpart, Thor Sandvik, at the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, a fortress dug deep into a mountainside near the northern city of Bode above the Arctic Circle.
The defense agreement envisages closer cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces, including the protection of submarine cables from sabotage. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, ships sailing to or from Russian ports are suspected of disrupting key European infrastructure links. Such sabotage is common especially in the Baltic Sea.
“Norway remains one of the UK’s most important allies. We will create a new era of defense partnership that will bring us closer than ever before as we confront growing threats, strengthen NATO and enhance our security in the High North,” Healy said.
The defense minister’s statement comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Europe over peace talks in Ukraine. The United States also argues that European NATO members should spend more on defense, while Britain is working to allocate 2.5% of GDP to its military capabilities.
On Tuesday, Healey said that the British Ministry of Defense is undergoing “the biggest defense shake-up in 50 years” to ensure its readiness for war.
