The Ukrainian military reported an advance in southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, indicating its forces had crossed the Dnirpro River in southern Kherson Oblast on Oct. 19. The commander of the Tavria Group fighting on the southern front lines, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, reported Ukrainian forces had achieved partial success southwest of VerboveContinue Reading
The dismal performance of Russia’s conventional forces in the early days of the war in Ukraine risks convincing some in NATO that the future Russian threat to the Alliance can be deterred primarily via NATO’s conventional superiority, and that enhancing deterrence of Russian nuclear use in a future conflict isContinue Reading
In accordance with an agreement with the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organization (FLO), the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) monitors and performs chemical analysis and assessment of soil and water samples taken at the Armed Forces demolition facility for munitions in Lærdal municipality. Briefly, the risk to humans and local faunaContinue Reading
Russia’s leadership is allowing nationalism, nostalgia, and fear to drive an economic policy which is almost religious in its intensity – and which will fail after causing much damage! In May 2022, former president and currently deputy chairman of the National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, “suggested that officials should useContinue Reading
Today, the battle for hearts and minds is unfolding on the devices in the palms of our hands. The media environment operates with unfamiliar rules and without systems of checks and balances, and information proliferates at an extraordinary pace. How do governments and international organisations get ahead in this newContinue Reading
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was awarded the Sønsteby prize on Monday (9 January 2023) at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway The award is named for Gunnar Sønsteby, Norway’s most decorated war hero, and is given to “brave defenders of fundamental democratic values”. In his acceptance speech, Mr Stoltenberg calledContinue Reading
In 2022, the spectre of nuclear weapons use has returned to centre stage in Europe. From the very beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has brandished his country’s nuclear sword in an attempt to compel Ukraine to capitulate to Russia’s demandsContinue Reading
(Photo by NTB Kommunikasjon/Statsministerens kontor) Norway will increase its support to Ukraine by NOK 10 billion over the next two years. The funding will be used for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts in the country, and to provide weapons and budget support to the Ukrainian government administration. ‘We stand togetherContinue Reading
Photo: Norway has donated 22 self-propelled artillery vehicles (M109 howitzers), including related gear, spare parts and ammunition, to Ukraine. (Photo by Frederik Ringnes/Norwegian Armed Forces) At present, Norway has provided a total of approximately NOK 2.1 billion in support to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries in response to Russia’s militaryContinue Reading
A joint statement on 4th February 2022 between the Russian and Chinese presidents mentioned the strategic partnership between the two nations as being one “with no limits”.1 This has raised fears of the emergence of a two-front Moscow-Beijing Axis to take on the United States-led existing liberal international order. WhileContinue Reading