All over Europe, nations are rebuilding their military forces to respond to an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable world.
The Nordic countries are no exception, with Sweden, Denmark, and Finland all beefing up their capabilities to face what they see as a growing Russian threat.
Now, Norway also joins the trend, with plans to raise its military spending by an accumulated $56 billion through 2036.
The goal is to bolster its defense against Russia and other security challenges, the NATO founder country’s government said.
Reuters reported:
“‘This plan represents a historic boost in defense spending, and involves a significant strengthening of all branches of the armed forces’, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference.
The planned annual defense spending in 2036 will, on a comparable, inflation adjusted basis, be around 83% higher than the current level, the finance minister said.”
The war in Ukraine shifted the country’s stance on military spending, triggering a debate on how to guard against eventual aggression by the Russian neighbors.
Norway shares a border with Russia in the Arctic – but historically, it has never been involved in a conflict with them.
“‘We must expect that Norway will live with a more dangerous and unpredictable Russia for many years’, the government said in a paper delivered to parliament on Friday.
‘The relationship with Russia will for a long time to come be demanding, and in many ways defining for Norwegian security and defense policy’, it added.
Thanks to its rainy-day sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest with assets of 17 trillion crowns, Norway has access to the cash it needs to fund the increased defense spending without cutting down on hospitals or schools, the prime minister said.”
Norway plans to finally ramp up the defense budget to 2% of its gross domestic product, the spending target set by the military alliance.
Politico reported:
“’We need a defense that is fit for purpose in the emerging security environment’, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a speech Friday. ‘As our security environment is deteriorating, we need to spend more on and pay more attention to defense and preparedness’.”
Norway’s deputy defense minister, Anne Marie Aanerud:
“The context is that we see that we need major investments in our forces, and 12 years will allow for a longer planning cycle and more predictability.
[…] It might not sound like something extraordinary, but it’s very, very unusual that a government goes to the opposition parties in parliament and talks to them about how to make a plan before they even have designed the plan [internally]. Usually, you just make the plan and then you hand it over and they work on it. But we have a very good tradition in Norway of coming together when the stakes are high and this is definitely one of those times. We think it’s very, very important that we start building our armed forces back up.”
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