A defence alliance based on solidarity

Translated from Norwegian

In March 1949, when the Storting (Norwegian parliament) discussed the question of whether Norway should accede to the North Atlantic Treaty, i.e. join NATO, Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen said the following: ‘It is clear that a principle such as one for all and all for one gives the participating countries added strength. This strength must be used above all to deter war. It goes without saying that a defence alliance based on solidarity will be of particular benefit to small nations situated in a vulnerable geographical position.’

These words could just as easily have been said today. But this week, as we mark the 75^th anniversary of NATO, and as the Government presents a new Long-term Defence Plan, we can also affirm that NATO’s importance for Norway is now greater and more evident than ever.

The new Long-term Defence Plan will enable us to strengthen all branches of the Norwegian Armed Forces, and to remedy deficiencies, fill gaps, procure new equipment, and achieve substantial investment in personnel and competence development. These efforts to strengthen our national defence are aligned with NATO’s plans for our region, and will ensure that Norway will exceed the NATO target of spending 2 % of GDP on defence already in 2024. The proposed Defence Plan will now be discussed by the Storting, and my hope is that it will receive the broadest possible support, as was the case with the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine.

Norway’s decision to invest more in defence is not, as some have claimed, primarily based on a desire to ‘please the US’. It is a necessary response to the times we are living in. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has changed the foreign and security policy landscape. Norway is contending with the most serious security situation since the Second World War.

While we will continue to seek to maintain orderly relations with our neighbour Russia, for example in the area of marine management, we must accept that Russia has become more dangerous, more unpredictable and more authoritarian. We are in a period where the Arctic, Norway’s most important area of strategic interest, is of increasing military significance to both Russia and our Allies.

More is required of Norway – militarily, politically and economically – to safeguard our interests and maintain stability in our neighbouring areas in the north. We have the expertise, and we know what is needed. At the same time, we must implement a range of measures to maintain settlement patterns in the northern part of our country and ensure that there are good welfare services and viable industries there. Now that Finland and Sweden are members of NATO, we are opening the door not only to enhancing our military cooperation, but also to exploring new opportunities for collaboration in areas such as transport, industry, business, education and research.

The fact that Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO shows that the Alliance is stronger and more relevant than ever. The two countries recognised that their security is best safeguarded within NATO – with the security guarantee provided by NATO membership – rather than outside the Alliance. Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, who played a key role in securing his country’s change of course in foreign policy, attended the anniversary event in Oslo this week. As he put it: ‘Each country maximises its own security. So does Finland.’

In the years leading up to 1949, many people called for a Nordic defence union. But this did not materialise. Now, however, all the Nordic countries are united in a transatlantic Alliance, with the US as the leading Ally. This dimension will always be crucial to our NATO cooperation. Because what we have here is a community of political values. The member countries share a commitment to democratic values, despite the differences in political structures and political party constellations and the diverging views on a range of issues in our diverse NATO family. Underlying all of this is a united community committed to the values of freedom, independence and democracy.

This community is important for Norway. And it is important for the US as well, regardless of who holds power in the White House. It is in the interests of the US to ensure that its security needs are met within the NATO framework.

The reason we are now increasing our investment in our Armed Forces is because the cost of ensuring our national security, our ‘insurance premium’, goes up when the security landscape changes. As Prime Minister Gerhardsen stated in the Storting 75 years ago: ‘This is the price we must pay to be part of a constructive security partnership.’ NATO’s importance for Norway is greater and more evident than ever. NATO has often been described as the cornerstone of our security policy, reflecting just how important the Alliance is. It is an anchor of stability and security that holds us steady, even in turbulent waters. Now this anchor, our foundation, has been fortified even further.