Newsletter: Controversial Defense Agreement and State-Run Greenwashing

Fridey, the Norwegian parliament Stortinget will debate and vote over a new defense agreement with the USA about two joint areas in the High North. The agreement, if approved, will open up for extensive American exertion of authority and power, and that is problematic according to the Judge Advocat General and the Director of Public Prosecutions. (Norwegian only) 

“Authority can be asserted towards anyone who are in contact with these areas or stand in the way of an American operation”, says the Norwegian Judge Advocat General Sigrid Redse Johansen and argues that the agreement opens up for use of authority over civilians. 

HNN continues following the case.

Greenwashing oil activities

“German police raided Germany’s largest bank just the other day, based on suspicion of greenwashing. Here in Norway, the state pays for greenwashing industry”, Editor-in-Chief Arne O. Holm writes in this week’s commentary.

He points to what he argues must be “the worst example” so far; Wisting, an oil field in the Barents Sea, 420 kilometers off the northern coast of Norway.

“Spending such large amounts of resources on opening fossil reserves that the world’s climate cannot take is completely insane”, Leader Truls Gulowsen of Friends of the Earth Norway says to High North News. (Norwegian only)

The Norwegian Environment Agency is amongst those who have demanded a new impact assessment. 

Meanwhile, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) has now arrived in the tanks at Melkøya in Finnmark, Norway, where the plant has been inoperative since a fire raged the grounds in 2020. 

Nuclear power and sanctions

Several companies operating in Norway have opted to continue supplying smolt and fish feed to Russian fish farming companies. This praxis is completely legal according to the sanctions and are also in keeping with guidelines from Norwegian authorities. The editor of the business online paper iLaks nevertheless argues that morals and ethics are sidelined. 

And in a meeting at the Norwegian-Russian Nuclear Commission last Tuesday, it was announced that Norway will pause funding cooperation with Russia about nuclear safety. 

“We will continue without Norway”, says the leader of the Russian delegation. 

The Russian Chair of the Arctic Council says to HNN that the Council’s Work Should “Be Resumed As Soon As Possible” and that it should remain the key international forum of the Arctic region. 

NATO and exercises

This week marked day 100 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the Nordic countries continue preparing for a potential conflict. 

“The fact that Sweden and Finland are applying for NATO membership gives us an opportunity to further strengthen defense of the Nordic countries”, Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn-Arild Gram (Center Party) writes in an op-ed. (Norwegian only) 

However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not caught Finland by surprise. Even Santa’s Grotto is ready to return to its original function; a bomb shelter in case of an attack. 

HNN could also report that the Barents Exercise, which has been conducted annually for more than 20 years, has been canceled. Operational cooperation with Russia about search and rescue nevertheless works like normal. 

Another eventful week in the High North, in other words. Thank you for following us and feel free to share our newsletter with others. 

On behalf of the HNN editorial staff, wishing you all the best for this first June weekend,

Trine Jonassen, News Editor

This newsletter was originally written in Norwegian and has been translated and adapted by HNN's Elisabeth Bergquist.