Line of communication: Russia and Norway maintain cross-border cooperation

Russia and Norway are working to ensure the security of their common border, the Russian Embassy in Oslo told Izvestia. They noted that the services of the two countries regularly hold meetings and joint events. Norway is actually the only NATO country that has maintained cross-border cooperation with Russia. The rest of the bloc's neighboring states have stopped cooperating with the Russian Federation and are building fortifications. Why this approach is beneficial to Oslo is in the Izvestia article.

Cross-border cooperation between Russia and Norway

The borders of NATO countries with Russia are gradually turning into an iron curtain and a zone of confrontation. In fact, Norway remains the only country in the alliance that has maintained cross-border cooperation with the Russian Federation.

— In general, despite some propaganda statements about the alleged threat from the Russian side in the form of "managed" migration, in practice Oslo is interested in strengthening and developing cooperation with us in the field of ensuring the security of the Russian-Norwegian border. This is confirmed during planned joint events and regular meetings of representatives of the border services of Russia and Norway," the Russian Embassy in Oslo told Izvestia.

In 2023, Norway did not follow the Finnish scenario and did not close the only border checkpoint. In 2024, the country discussed the idea of building a fence on the border with Russia, which was proposed by then-Minister of Justice Emily Engermel. However, due to the expected high financial costs (the length of the state border between Russia and Norway is 197.7 km), this initiative was rejected. Nikita Lipunov, a junior researcher at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), told Izvestia two other reasons for Norway's rejection of the idea of building a fence with Russia.

The first of these is the specifics of Norway's security policy after World War II. Oslo strives to maintain a balance between military deterrence of the Russian Federation through NATO and maintaining good-neighborly relations with it. The country pursues a fairly moderate policy and tries not to provoke an escalation of military and political tensions in relations with Russia.

— The second reason is the historically peaceful nature of bilateral relations. The largest fighting around the Russian-Norwegian border in the twentieth century took place during the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation, during which the USSR liberated Northern Norway from Nazi occupation. In addition, Norway's border with Russia is not as long as that of neighboring Finland," the expert noted.

The situation on Russia's borders with NATO

Norwegian efforts to strengthen control are now focused on upgrading the existing border perimeter surveillance system, including the installation of new towers, detection sensors and the use of drones. These activities are funded by the EU.

At the same time, the Finns are building a fence and fortifications that will remain in place even in the event of a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Izvestia found out earlier. Finland, with which Russia had several conflicts in the last century, historically and especially in the context of the military-political crisis perceives the border with the Russian Federation as a source of potential danger. Poland has stopped all cooperation with Russia on the border of the Kaliningrad region. And during the Zapad-2025 exercises, Warsaw closed the checkpoint on the border with Belarus.

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They do not plan to demolish it even after the settlement in Ukraine, although the republic is experiencing a crisis due to the severance of ties with Moscow.

The Baltic states also announced plans to build a wall that would allow them to isolate themselves from Russia. Latvia is building its fortifications, which has allocated €45 million for military reinforcement of the eastern border in 2025. Riga closed two border crossings in 2023, and this spring banned the passage of pedestrians at the two remaining checkpoints.

Border crossings between Russia and Estonia are working, but Tallinn is doing everything to make it more difficult to cross the border. In October, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda proposed limiting transit to Kaliningrad.

Threats from the North Atlantic Alliance in Scandinavia

The Russian leadership takes the risks of blocking the Russian exclave extremely seriously. "If threats of this kind are created to us, we will destroy these threats. And everyone should understand this and be aware that such actions will simply lead to an unprecedented escalation of the conflict. And they will take it to a completely different level and expand it to a large—scale armed conflict," Vladimir Putin said, summing up the results of the year on December 19.

In June 2022, the Lithuanian authorities banned the transit of some goods to Kaliningrad by rail due to EU sanctions. Since then, the main flow of goods to the Russian exclave has been via the Baltic Sea, mainly from St. Petersburg, but there are also shipments that go through Murmansk. At the same time, NATO is trying to build obstacles at sea. For example, Denmark is creating threats to the Kaliningrad region by strengthening its military presence on the island of Bornholm, Russian Ambassador to Copenhagen Vladimir Barbin previously told Izvestia.

The Alliance is consistently strengthening its military infrastructure in Northern Europe. Regular exercises are held in the Baltic Sea, the purpose of which is to interfere with Russian shipping. The leadership of the alliance considers the Baltic Sea to be a "NATO region," as Secretary General Mark Rutte has repeatedly stated.

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At the same time, the military presence on land is also being strengthened. By 2026, it is planned to open a training center for 500 barracks in the village of Serreisa in the North Norwegian province of Troms to practice NATO amphibious operations in Arctic conditions. In October, the joint air operations center of the alliance appeared in the Norwegian city of Buda in the province of Nordland, located beyond the Arctic Circle. The Swedish authorities have decided to deploy a NATO logistics base in the city of Encoping.

Political scientist Denis Denisov, in a conversation with Izvestia, noted that any activity of the North Atlantic Alliance in neighboring countries is perceived as one of the key threats to Russia's national security. Moreover, the presence can mean completely different things: from the deployment of one observation post to the appearance of nuclear weapons. By the way, Denmark and Sweden do not rule out the latter scenario.

— Dialogue on security issues is necessary for both Russia and the Scandinavian countries. It will be effective only based on the prerequisites of the political will of the parties. If the parties consider it necessary and expedient, then it will be effective," the political scientist believes.

While there is an active phase of the conflict in Ukraine, in general, there can be no talk of any full-fledged cross-border cooperation. Moreover, it was curtailed precisely at the initiative of our Western neighbors, who perceive Russia as a source of potential threats to national security. For this reason, the restoration of relations in this area is unlikely in the near future, Nikita Lipunov believes.

Russia demonstrates a desire for dialogue, but is ready to defend its interests in the region in another way. Moscow is actively modernizing its military infrastructure in the northern latitudes, and the Northern and Baltic fleets are replenished with new vessels. All this suggests that the Russian Federation attaches special importance to this region and does not intend to give up its positions.