Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 8, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleNorway plans to strengthen security ties with Europe due to uncertain US relations, marking a strategic shift for the NATO member.
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway said on Thursday it would seek to deepen security ties with Nordic neighbours and major European allies, bolstering protections against a resurgent Russia and signalling a shift for a nation long one of NATO's most Atlanticist members.
In its first ever national security strategy, the government said that while the NATO military alliance remains key, the changes made in U.S. policy on trade and security had made transatlantic ties less predictable.
"Relations between the U.S. and Europe have changed ... Unconventional and confrontational policies, including major changes in trade policy, have generated considerable uncertainty in transatlantic relations," the document said.
"Continued extensive U.S. military presence in Europe is not a given."
Norway, a founding NATO member, has traditionally been among the most Atlanticist nations in the alliance.
While the new strategy shows Norway remains committed to its relationship with the U.S., it also marks a shift in priorities, with Oslo saying it will spend more time than before on deepening its relationships with other European countries.
Outside the immediate Nordic region, Norway will seek to work more closely with Britain, France, Germany and Poland as well as the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the government said.
Norway is not an EU member and is thus outside the EU-led forums on foreign and security policy.
"Through our cooperation, we will seek to ensure that the EU complements NATO," said the document.
The presentation of a broad national security strategy coincided with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe, during which Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouché; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
Norway's new national security strategy aims to deepen security ties with Nordic neighbors and major European allies, particularly in response to a resurgent Russia.
Changes in US trade and security policy have created uncertainty in transatlantic relations, prompting Norway to prioritize strengthening its relationships with European partners.
Norway plans to work closely with Britain, France, Germany, Poland, and the Baltic countries, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
No, Norway is not an EU member and is therefore outside the EU-led forums on foreign and security policy.
Norway aims to ensure that the EU complements NATO through enhanced cooperation, reflecting a shift in its security priorities.
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