Norway–Russia relations

Denmark handled the foreign relations of Norway during this period. Denmark and Russia were in general allies against their mutual enemy Sweden.

Sweden handled the foreign relations of Norway during this period. The Norway–Russia border was defined in 1826.

{{further|Norway–Soviet Union relations}}

On 27 April 2010, Norway and Russia officially resolved the territorial dispute in the Barents Sea.{{cite web|url=http://www.therightperspective.org/2010/04/27/norway-russia-agree-on-barents-sea-border/#sthash.urUiM0Fy.dpbs|title=Norway, Russia agree on Barents Sea border|website=therightperspective.org|access-date=16 April 2018}}

In May 2012, Akhmed Zakayev, Prime Minister of the Ichkerian government-in-exile, attended the Oslo Freedom Forum, leading to formal complaints by Russia.

{{Cite news |title=Skarp russisk protest mot Norge |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/uriks/Skarp-russisk-protest-mot-Norge-6832001.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160303214637/http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/uriks/Skarp-russisk-protest-mot-Norge-6832001.html |archive-date=2016-03-03 |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=Aftenposten}}

In July 2020, Norway expelled a Russian diplomat on suspicion of espionage.Anton Kolodyazhnyy (August 28, 2020), [https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-norway/russia-summons-norwegian-ambassador-over-expulsion-of-russian-diplomat-ria-idUSR4N2FR00L Russia summons Norwegian ambassador over expulsion of Russian diplomat - RIA] Reuters.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Norway imposed sanctions on Russia.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-03-18 |title=Sanctions against Russia incorporated into Norwegian law |url=https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/russia_sanctions/id2904511/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Government.no |language=en-GB}} Later on 6 April 2022, Norway declared three Russian diplomats persona non grata, and expelled them from the country.{{Cite web |title=Greece, Norway order expulsion of Russian diplomats |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/6/greece-norway-order-expulsion-of-russian-diplomats |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}} Russia expelled three Norwegian diplomats later that month.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-27 |title=Об ответных мерах в связи с объявлением сотрудников Посольства России в Норвегии «persona non grata» |url=https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1811012/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240504195601/https://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1811012/ |archive-date=2024-05-04 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website= |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation |language=ru}} Except for fishing boats who may still dock in Båtsfjord, Kirkenes and Tromsø, all Russian ships were also banned by Norway from entering Norwegian ports.{{cite web |date=12 May 2023 |title=Norwegian businesses expected to comply with sanctions on Russian fishing fleet |url=https://thefishingdaily.com/latest-news/norwegian-businesses-expected-to-comply-with-sanctions-on-russian-fishing-fleet/}} The border between the two countries remains open, but crossing is only allowed via Borisoglebsk/Storskog.{{Cite web |title=The Norwegian-Russian border |url=https://www.politiet.no/en/english/the-norwegian-russian-border/#the-border-may-only-be-crossed-at-storskog |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Politiet |language=en}}

In October 2022, the Norwegian Police Security Service arrested Mikhail Mikushin, a Russian national posing as a Brazilian with the name of José Assis Giammaria, and charged him with gathering intelligence on state secrets on behalf of Russia.{{cite news |date=28 October 2022 |title=Norway charges man accused of being Russian spy |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63429520 |work=BBC News}} Mikushin was exchanged back to Russia during a prisoner exchange in August 2024.{{Cite web |last=Nilsen |first=Thomas |date=2024-08-01 |title=Russia prisoner swap includes Tromsø university illegal Mikushin |url=https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/security/russia-prisoner-swap-includes-tromso-university-illegal-mikushin/165177 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=The Barents Observer |language=en-GB}}

In April 2023 Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats on suspicion of spying.{{cite web |title=Norway expels 15 Russian diplomats suspected of spying |website=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/norway-russian-diplomats-expelled-embassy-a67c8f813f14e0bdca15444d0e7a1de0 |date=13 April 2023}} Russia promptly responded by expelling 10 Norwegian diplomats and in August added Norway to its list of unfriendly countries.{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-adds-norway-list-countries-unfriendly-its-diplomats-2023-08-03/|title=Russia adds Norway to its list of unfriendly countries |date=3 August 2023}}

The environmentally harmful emissions from the Norilsk Nickel plant outside Nikel in the Murmansk Oblast{{cite news |author= Antonova, Maria |title= Balancing Growth and Environment |url= http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/600/42/369177.htm |work= The Moscow Times |date= July 25, 2008 |access-date=April 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803173348/http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/600/42/369177.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-08-03}} have been for decades an unresolved issue in then Norwegian–Soviet, and now Norwegian–Russian relations.

Formerly there was a territorial dispute over the Barents Sea, but on 27 April 2010, Norway and Russia officially resolved the territorial debate.{{Cite news |last1=Dyomkin |first1=Denis |last2=Fouche |first2=Gwladys |date=2010-04-27 |title=UPDATE 3-Russia and Norway strike Arctic sea border deal |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/norway-russia-barents-idUSLDE63Q14D20100427 |url-status=live |access-date=2022-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410055951/https://www.reuters.com/article/norway-russia-barents-idUSLDE63Q14D20100427 |archive-date=2016-04-10}}

A 2017 Kremlin maritime threat assessment which was sent to President Vladimir Putin highlighted Norway as a perceived threat and therefore a potential cause of naval conflict.{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/article/74777/kremlin-maritime-threat-assessment-highlights-norway-as-potential-cause-of-naval-conflict|title=Kremlin maritime threat assessment highlights Norway as potential cause of naval conflict - Jane's 360|website=www.janes.com|access-date=16 April 2018}}

In December 2017, Frode Berg, a Norwegian citizen, was arrested in Russia on allegations of having operated a spy ring in the country since 2015, and was detained at Lefortovo Prison.{{cite magazine |magazine=Foreign Policy |date=October 3, 2018 |title=The New Cold Front in Russia's Information War |first=Reid |last=Standish |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/03/the-new-cold-front-in-russias-information-war-nato-norway/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004142533/https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/03/the-new-cold-front-in-russias-information-war-nato-norway/ |archive-date=October 4, 2018}} In 2017, hackers believed to be Russians targeted the Labour Party.

There has long been tension over the GLOBUS radar installation in Vardø, which Russian officials believe to be part of a United States missile defense system. Two mock airstrikes involving Russian fighter jets and bombers were executed against the town in 2017 and 2018, each time pulling short of violating Norwegian airspace, and in 2019 a Bal coastal missile system was deployed 70 km from the radar system, just 35 km from the Norwegian-Russian land border.{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Norway says Russia's mock attack on Vardø radar troubles stability in the north |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/03/oslo-such-behavior-does-not-promote-good-neighborly-relations |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=13 March 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Moscow threatens response against Norwegian radar near Russian border |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2019/05/russia-warns-it-will-take-measures-response-new-spy-near-border-radar-arctic-norway |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=23 May 2019}}{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Tom |title=Russia Will 'Take Measures' Against U.S. Radar Near Its Border, Thought to Be Part of Missile Defense |url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-us-radar-norway-defense-1434756 |publisher=Newsweek |access-date=22 December 2020 |date=23 May 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Russia deploys missile system 70 km from Norway's Vardø radar |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2019/08/russia-deploys-bastion-missile-system-70-km-norways-vardo-radar |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=30 December 2020 |date=7 August 2019}}

The 2015 fictional political thriller TV series Occupied is based on a hypothetical strain in relations between the two countries after Norway ceases fossil fuel production in response to a climate crisis. It is available on Netflix in many countries.

In response to the TV series, the Vyacheslav Pavlovsky, the Russian ambassador to Norway, told Russian News Agency TASS,

It is certainly a shame that, in the year of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II, the authors have seemingly forgotten the Soviet Army's heroic contribution to the liberation of northern Norway from Nazi occupiers, decided, in the worst traditions of the Cold War, to scare Norwegian spectators with the nonexistent threat from the east.{{cite news |last=Bershidsky |first=Leonid |url=http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-28/norwegian-tv-taps-into-fear-of-russia |title=Norwegian TV taps into fear of Russia |work=Bloomberg View |date=2015-08-28 |access-date=2015-09-06 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.afr.com/opinion/how-norwegian-tv-is-cashing-in-on-fears-of-valdimir-putins-russia-20150830-gjbat8 |title=How Norwegian TV is cashing in on fears of Vladimir Putin's Russia |work=The Australian Financial Review |url-access=subscription |date=31 August 2015 |access-date=6 September 2015 }}

The Russian embassy had been informed in an early stage of the work on the series.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/30/norwegian-tv-series-occupied-russia-row| title=Fictional Russian invasion sparks row with Moscow | work=The Guardian | date=30 August 2015 | access-date=24 February 2018 }}

File:Embassy of Norway in Moscow, entrance.jpg|Norwegian embassy in Moscow, Russia

File:Russian embassy Oslo front building.jpg|Russian embassy in Oslo, Norway

File:Russian Consulate Kirkenes.jpg|Russian consulate-general in Kirkenes, Norway

File:Consulate of Russia in Barentsburg.jpg|Russian consulate-general in Barentsburg, Norway

File:Vladimir Putin at the Millennium Summit 6-8 September 2000-28.jpg|Russian President Vladimir Putin with Stoltenberg in New York City, 2000

File:Dmitry Medvedev in Norway 27 April 2010-6.jpg|Dmitry Medvedev speak at a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg

File:Medvedev harald children.jpg|Dmitry Medvedev and Harald V of Norway greeting children outside the Royal Palace, Oslo

File:Medvedev in Norway (img19).jpeg|Dmitry Medvedev and Jens Stoltenberg with Ingrid Schulerud, Svetlana Medvedeva, Harald V of Norway, Queen Sonja of Norway and Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway outside Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway

{{Portal|Norway|Russia}}

• Norway–Soviet Union relations
• Norway–Russia border
• Pomor trade
• List of ambassadors of Russia to Norway

{{reflist|2}}

• Соседи на Крайнем Севере: Россия и Норвегия: От первых контактов до Баренцева сотрудничества. Учебное пособие / Под ред. Т. Т. Фёдоровой. — Мурманск: Мурманское книжное издательство, 2001. — 384 с. — 1000 экз. — {{ISBN|5-85510-241-6}}

{{commons category|Relations of Norway and Russia}}

• [http://www.norvegia.ru/norsk/ambassaden/ansatte/Ansatte.htm Norwegian embassy in Moscow]
• [http://www.norway.mid.ru/ Russian embassy in Oslo]

{{Foreign relations of Russia|Europe}}

{{Foreign relations of Norway}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norway-Russia relations}}

Category:Bilateral relations of Russia

Russia