On Saturday morning, a video of a Norwegian diplomat was published by the Russian website Mash over the social media Telegram. The video shows the Norwegian diplomat making several ugly statements against Russia and scolding the staff at the Azimut hotel in Murmansk. The incident must be from earlier this summer. Editor of the online newspaper Barents Observer, Thomas Nilsen, says that they were sent this video some time ago, but chose not to publish it. – We considered this to be an open provocation from Russian intelligence and therefore chose not to mention this video, he says. The video has close to 700,000 views on Saturday evening. According to Nilsen, the video has been spread to discredit Norway’s reputation. – It is a good reminder that if you are in a hotel in Russia, the intelligence is present with video surveillance in the hotel room, especially for those who are in a professional group that Russian intelligence wants to keep an eye on, he says. – This hotel is known for placing foreign guests in dedicated rooms where there is video recording, audio recording and so on. There is no possibility of getting such material sent out if it is not a controlled emissary from Russian intelligence, says Nilsen. Thomas Nilsen in the online newspaper Barents Observer says the video is an open provocation from Russian intelligence. Photo: Tormod Strand / news Fits into Russia’s history of the world around The video appears to have been first published by the Russian website Mash. They write that Russian police are investigating the incident. A number of Norwegian media, the state news channels Russia Today, Tass, Ria as well as the news agency AFP, have reported on the incident. – This fits into a story in Russia that foreign countries, including Norway, are hostile towards Russia. When you can attach such statements to a Norwegian diplomat, this will very quickly be seen as an official Norwegian view of Russia, which is of course, to the highest degree, not true, says Nilsen. Mayor of Sør-Varanger municipality, Lena Norum Bergeng, says it is embarrassing to see the behavior of the Norwegian diplomat. Photo: Kristina Kalinina / news – Shameful This summer, on July 1, the Norwegian Consulate General in Murmansk was temporarily closed down. Mayor of Sør-Varanger municipality, Lena Norum Bergeng, thinks the incident that has come to light is shameful. – I don’t think anyone should behave like that towards others. This is embarrassing, she says. – What does this do to Norwegian-Russian cooperation? – In any case, it doesn’t make the relationship better when we behave like this towards each other. I think it is regrettable that grown people should behave like this, she says. Despite the incident, Bergeng does not think the relationship between those living in the north and their Russian neighbors will change. – Now I think that this is primarily at a diplomatic level. Then the Norwegian government will have to take it and the Russian government will have to find out. Then we get to look after our neighbors as we have always done – with respect and dignity, she says. Maria Zakharova in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says they will now see how to proceed. Here with Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov. Photo: AP Very unfortunate Editor Thomas Nilsen sees that the relationship between Norway and Russia has been on ice over time. He does not think this will have any consequences for Norwegian-Russian cooperation, which “is already at freezing point”. – But I completely agree with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that this turns out to be very unfortunate for Norwegian diplomacy. At the same time, I would assume that the main reason among those who have spread this video from Russian intelligence has been to discredit Norway, says Nilsen. Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said that they are now considering how they will react to the incident. – The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now considering how we should respond to this terrible act of hatred, nationalism and xenophobia, writes Zakharova to the Russian news channel Russia Today. Governor of Murmansk Andrej Tsjibis (th) reacted strongly to the video of the Norwegian diplomat. Photo: Murmansk county Governor: – Go to hell from Russia Murmansk’s governor Andrej Tsjibis is one of many in Russia who reacted strongly on Saturday when the video became known to the public. – We shall not tolerate Russophobia in our country. Anyone who hates Russians can go to hell from Russia, he wrote on his Telegram account. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that they deeply regret that the incident happened. – The questions in no way reflect Norwegian politics or Norwegian attitudes towards Russia and Russians. The case is now being followed up internally in the ministry, said communications manager Tuva Boksnes at the Foreign Ministry.
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