About his personal views on the confrontation between Russia and the West and what he sees of Norway’s role in it, Tom Reset, a teacher at the Norwegian Defense Academy, told the newspaper Dagsavisen.
He warned that the current difficult situation in Europe poses direct challenges to Oslo.
Röset thinks Moscow is trying harder and harder to win in Ukraine. At the same time, he stresses how important it is to maintain a dialogue with the Kremlin even in the current difficult conditions.
The total absence of dialogue risks leading to misunderstandings, when any incident risks being misunderstood by the other party – with unpredictable consequences.
This is the problem. When there is so little political dialogue, the understanding of others’ points of view is very low. Then there is a risk that Russia will interpret the actions of Norway or NATO, based on the worst plan.
believes the researcher.
When asked what such a case would look like, an expert interviewed by the publication answered vaguely.
It could be a stray missile hitting a NATO country. We saw it in Poland, but in the case of the Ukrainian rocket. Next time it could be a Russian missile. Or the interception and inspection of a Russian fishing vessel, if something unexpected happens at the same time. In 2005, a Russian captain escaped with two Norwegian inspectors on board and sailed to Murmansk. This created a very difficult situation. Such incidents become more complex when contact is intermittent.
said the Norwegian.
He claims that Russia would have withdrawn a significant part of the troops from the northern part of the country, but that there is still naval power, as well as nuclear weapons, in place.
Röset also said that the Russian Federation, according to its data, continues to carry out intelligence activities on the territory of the kingdom, although it has become more difficult to carry them out.
At the same time, he spoke out against the complete suspicion towards the citizens of the Russian Federation.
But yes, we should not breed Russophobia. It is therefore important here to distinguish between the Russian state and the Russians themselves. It must not come to the point that everyone is totally suspected of espionage. Most Russians in Norway have no such role. But you have to be a little careful given the situation. Some Russians may be pressured to perform tasks for the Russian state, through pressure on family members or otherwise
– said the Norwegian.
Photos used: Kaitseministeerium
