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Russian deputies urged to denounce Arctic treaty with Norway

Russia's top lawmaker on Tuesday said parliamentary deputies should consider denouncing a landmark Arctic border treaty with Norway as tensions rage between the two countries.

Published: 5 July 2022 15:22 CEST
Pictured is a trawler in the Barents Sea.
Russia has said that parliamentary deputies should look at denouncing a treaty with Norway. File photo: The Norwegian Coast Guard boards this unregistered trawler "Joana" fishing illegally in the Barents Sea. Photo by Norwegian Coast Guard / Scanpix / AFP

The announcement comes with Moscow accusing Oslo of blocking access to the Svalbard archipelago and ties between the Kremlin and European countries unravelling over Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.

In 2010, Russia and Norway signed a treaty on maritime delimitation and cooperation in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean, putting to rest a
40-year-old row.

On Tuesday, Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, tasked lawmakers with considering “the issue of denunciation of the agreement with Norway on cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean,” the State Duma said.

Volodin backed Communist lawmaker Mikhail Matveyev said that in 2010 Russia “had ceded 175,000 square kilometres of the Barents Sea to Norway”.

Today, Norway is preventing the delivery of food and cargo to Spitsbergen,” the State Duma said in a statement, citing Matveyev.

READ ALSO: Norway says it hasn’t breached treaty by blocking Russian cargo to Svalbard

Last week Russia’s foreign ministry summoned Norway’s charge d’affaires, accusing Oslo of blocking access to the Svalbard archipelago and threatening retaliation.

Norway has sovereignty over Svalbard but allows citizens of more than 40 countries to exploit the islands’ potentially vast resources on an equal footing.

Moscow has long wanted a bigger say in the archipelago and insists on calling it Spitsbergen rather than the Norwegian Svalbard.

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February, the West has hit Russia with several rounds of unprecedented sanctions.

Last week Norway announced nearly a billion euros of aid to Ukraine.

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POLITICS

Norway uncovers Russian agents amid sabotage concerns

The Norwegian intelligence service, PST, has revealed the presence of multiple Russian agents operating in western Norway.

Published: 3 May 2024 10:43 CEST
Norway uncovers Russian agents amid sabotage concerns

Torgils Lutro, head of PST Vest, disclosed in an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that these agents may have been preparing for acts of sabotage.

NRK noted that potential targets could have included Haakonsvern, northern Europe’s largest naval base, as well as crucial oil, gas, and power facilities in the region.

Lutro said that Russian agents were focused on gathering intelligence on critical infrastructure, military installations, and Norwegian preparedness routines.

While the exact number of exposed agents remains undisclosed, the PST has previously warned about the risks posed by Russian espionage and that espionage activity has heightened since Russia invaded Ukraine.

“In Vestland (County), we have strongly suspected, but have also uncovered, hostile and unwanted Russian intelligence activities since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” Lutro said.

Russia’s motives

The PST Vest chief suggested that Russia aimed to tarnish Norway’s reputation among its allies.

“It’s evident that one of Russia’s objectives is to portray us in a negative light. They seek to demonstrate that we lack control over our own affairs or that we’re unable to support our allies during future crises,” he said.

Following the war in Ukraine, Norwegian authorities have expelled over 15 people from the Russian embassy in Norway over suspected espionage.

This has prompted Russia to reassess its intelligence personnel and resources, according to the PST.

“Identifying these agents isn’t straightforward. They blend into society, which is part of their job. They may not even hold Russian citizenship, but are motivated by factors like money or threats,” Lutro said.

The PST has consistently highlighted Russian intelligence activities as a growing threat to Norway’s security in its annual threat assessments, including the most recent one in 2024.

“We’ve employed various methods to uncover these activities, and in some instances, we have a clear understanding of how they operate,” Lutro said.

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