Norway PM 'prepared, but not afraid' of Russian incursion
Norway PM says Russian threat is real, welcomes closer defence ties with Canada
The prime minister of Norway says threats from Russia are part of the modern security picture and should be taken seriously.
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threats → say → picture
In an interview with the CBC's Power & Politics, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told host David Cochrane "we are prepared, but not afraid" of a Russian incursion.
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we → tell → incursion
He said the threat is "real" and should be followed "very carefully," especially by countries closer to the Russian border — including Canada.
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threat → say → Canada
Intelligence services of NATO countries are pointing to that threat.
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services → point → threat
It's happening," Støre said.
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Støre → happen → ?
The threat conversation came to the surface this week following a warning from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Russia is planning hybrid strikes on NATO territory.
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Russia → come → territory
Under this threat environment the Norwegian PM says regional groups must come together, welcoming Canada's recent move to seek membership in the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a collection of a few NATO nations whose mandate is to respond more quickly in a crisis.
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mandate → say → crisis
The JEF was initially formed by the U.K., Netherlands, Nordic and Baltic countries, but Støre says it's now important to talk more closely with countries that he says, "share challenges and security risks," including Poland, Germany, Belgium and Canada.
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he → form → Poland
Carney touts Arctic alliance with Norway during PM's visit to Ottawa, amid Russia threat
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Støre says the JEF is helpful in cases when issues may be too big for a country on its own or it's not up to the scale of Article 5 — the NATO clause that requires alliance members to defend any other member that's been attacked — telling Power & Politics that NATO allies are engaged in "sophisticated debate" over the threshold for Article 5 to be triggered.
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Article → tout → threshold
With Russia struggling to reach its strategic objectives in Ukraine, it could be wanting to test Ukraine's partners, says Støre.
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Støre → struggle → partners
Incidents in Europe this summer have raised those alarm bells for NATO partners.
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Incidents → raise → partners
German authorities blamed Russia for a drone attack at an airport in central Germany in August while last week, Bulgarian authorities announced they're investigating a fire at a munitions storage facility operated by arms maker EMCO — whose weapons are used in Ukraine.
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weapons → blame → Ukraine
Norway looks to Canada as an Arctic partner
Following Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to Norway in March, both countries signed a strategic partnership committing to broadly expanding areas of co-operation — notably in the Arctic where both countries share a coastline with Russia.
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countries → look → Russia
"We see Canada very much part of the Northern sphere.
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Canada → see → sphere
We have the Atlantic between us, but we are Arctic states," Støre said.
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Støre → have → us
With Russia not an ally in the Arctic, Canada and Norway must stay "very, very closely connected" to maintain order in the North.
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Canada → stay → North
In July, Carney chose to buy a dozen submarines from a European shipbuilder instead of a Korean firm, after a months-long, hotly contested bidding process.
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Carney → choose → process
The chosen partnership involves a German company but partners with Norway, with the three nations collaborating to produce and maintain the submarines.
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nations → choose → submarines
Inter-operability across submarines is a "major step" to increase Arctic security, Støre says, but also for industrial co-operation on Arctic research.
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Støre → increase → research
"That's why we need to work on our coast guards, that's why we need to work on our space ability to do surveillance.
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we → need → surveillance
Carney courts Europe
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The Norwegian delegation's visit comes on the heels of Carney's address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, a meeting with the new U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool, England, and a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a French territory 20 kilometres off the southern coast of Newfoundland.
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visit → come → Newfoundland
As for EU "associate membership"?
Støre says he welcomes "deeper ties," with Canada but on a basis that's "real," and with "meaning."
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that → say → meaning
As Europe's most integrated non-EU country, Støre says Canada, the U.K. and Norway should work more closely together with the EU on new areas that require co-operation such as space, critical minerals, energy and artificial intelligence.
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that → say → space
"We can all benefit and not let that sink into bureaucracy and regulations that sometimes complicate things."
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that → benefit → things
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