Norway urges Trump to issue predictable, clear policy on Russia

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., (Reuters) - Norway yesterday urged U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to enunciate a clear and predictable policy on Russia as soon as possible, amid growing concerns in Oslo about increasing Russian military activities in the “High North” or Arctic region.

“What is most important to us right now is to have both a predictable and a very clear policy on Russia,” Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide told Reuters ahead of the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

“The earlier and the clearer that the new administration comes out with this, the better it is, also for European security,” Soereide said.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg spoke by telephone with Trump on Thursday, addressing concerns of the transatlantic NATO alliance and Europe about Russia’s increasingly aggressive military stance, Soereide said.

She said Trump reassured Solberg about the United States’ commitment to the NATO alliance and common security.

During the U.S. election campaign, Trump talked of building closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He questioned whether the United States should protect allies seen as spending too little on their defense, raising fears he could withdraw funding for NATO.

Soereide said Norway was concerned by Russia’s testing of new missiles that could reach Europe, upgrades of existing equipment, and its adoption of quieter submarines that were harder to detect. The combined effect was a new challenge that Europe and NATO need to address, she said.