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Western leaders are now fighting a tough battle. Russia’s ruthless behavior towards its own citizens has consequences. This is bad news for Norwegian-Russian relations.
By Amund Trellevik, Nordlys journalist
This comment was first posted on Nordnorsk Debatt. It is the attitude of the writer that is expressed.
Diplomats Whoever works with Russia now puts it bluntly: apart from a few obvious things like cod management in the Barents Sea and search and rescue services at sea, there is little that Norway and Russia agree on today on day. The countries largely disagree on most things, be it Crimea, Donbass, Syria, human rights, the elections in Belarus, and NATO in the north.
Also read: Lukashenko to Russia to face Putin
And from Norway shares this “disagreement” with most other allied countries, a more tense relationship between major European countries and Russia will directly affect Norway’s already tense relations with Russia.
Of siste by In recent weeks, we have seen Western leaders intensify their rhetoric towards Moscow. The backdrop is the poisoning of Russian politician and corruption hunter Alexei Navanlyj. Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s strongest critics and Russia’s only real opposition figure, became seriously ill on a plane between Siberia and Moscow on August 20. The activists eventually transported him to Germany for treatment.
Also read: Russian police will follow Navalny’s investigation in Germany
With Navalny Still in the Berlin hospital, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas blows his sabers: German authorities believe that Navalny has been killed with the military nerve drug novitsjok. Therefore, the country warns that they may be “forced to reconsider” the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline after a lack of contribution from Moscow in the Navalny case.
These are new and tougher tones from Europe’s largest economy, which is also an important partner for Norway. Germany has established its prestige in the construction of Nord Stream 2, against strong protests and sanctions from the United States. The interruption of the project will have a hard hit on German industry and employment. It will also affect Russian state gas giant Gazprom, which owns 51 percent of the project, and then directly to the Kremlin.
It’s hard interpreting the statements differently than Western leaders are tired of the way the Kremlin treats its own citizens, both in Russia and abroad. Criticism and condemnation are now followed by financial consequences.
Also read: Cosmonaut (83) behind the proposal that assures Putin another 16 years in power
Russia has much of the responsibility for the fact that the current security policy situation is more uncertain than in many decades. In 2014, the world’s largest country by area was supplied by a neighboring country with military power. The annexation of Crimea shocked several, including Norway, which despite a clarified land and sea border with Russia in the future, may face a Russian challenge in Svalbard.
Goes of course It is not possible to assess a Norwegian-Russian relationship in isolation from a Western-Russian relationship. Norway is integrated in all possible, practical and formalized ways in the Western sphere in terms of security, cultural and economic security.
But the norwegian rhetoric has not helped defuse the situation. In some fields, clumsy statements by the Norwegian government have contributed to unnecessarily acidifying an already strained relationship. Among other things, the defense minister believed that Putin had to deserve to be invited to Norway to mark victory over Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union was the country that suffered the worst casualties when fighting Hitler with his 27 million fallen soldiers and civilians.
Also read: US prosecutors: Russia and Qatar bought votes to win the World Cup
It’s enough of “events” that have led to a gradual deterioration of relations between Russia and the West. Here are some of the most important: In 2006, one of Russia’s most famous journalists, Anna Politkovskaya, was liquidated in the elevator of her own apartment block in central Moscow. No one has been arrested for ordering the murder. In 2015, Russia’s most famous opponent, Boris Nemtsov, was shot dead a few hundred meters from the Kremlin. No one has been arrested for ordering the murder.
In 2018 it became former double agent Sergei Skripal tried to kill himself with a nerve agent in England. All clues point to Russia, but Russia is not cooperating.
Plus The opposition and critics of the Russian regime are regularly assassinated, whether in Vienna, Berlin or London.
European heads of state You will also never forget that all roads point toward Russia after a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. 298 people lost their lives. Russia denies any involvement.
Also read: Russia with strong warning to Germany in the Navalny case
The poisoning of Navalny It’s a new preliminary bottom point and it’s the case that caused the cup to overflow. Western leaders no longer accept Russia’s behavior. A tougher match is expected. This will mean that Norway’s relations with Russia will now be really bad.
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