Should Norwegian-Russian friendship agreements be maintained, broken or put on ice? The question has been up for discussion in a number of Norwegian municipalities, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Diplomacy researcher Iver B. Neumann previously recommended freezing such friendship agreements. Also after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago. But now he has turned around. – I thought it would be nice to have the agreements in the background when peace came. This based on the idea that Russia would at one point or another be interested in co-operating with its neighbours. But time has gotten away from them a little, says Neumann. Director Iver B. Neumann at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute believes it is time to terminate the friendship agreements with Russian municipalities. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Militarized the economy What made Iver B. Neumann change his mind was when Vladimir Putin militarized the Russian economy. – Now the state can order all companies to produce anything, at any time. This means that the entire economy can be mobilized to make ammunition and other war equipment overnight, says Neumann. He points out that Russia now spends more than a third of its national budget on military expenditure. Therefore, he reckons that it will be quite a long time until the day when we can talk about normalizing relations with Russia. – Then it won’t be so important to have these agreements on hold until they are revived, he says. Friendship agreements on ice Some Norwegian municipalities have chosen to freeze the agreements with their Russian friends, while others have chosen to terminate them. Last out was Vardø, which last week terminated the agreement with Arkhangelsk. Entering into this type of friendship agreement was used as a tool for peace and reconciliation in the aftermath of the Second World War. The government has said that it is up to the municipalities themselves to decide whether it is right to put the agreements on hold or terminate them. On Wednesday, the politicians in the border municipality of Sør-Varanger will once again consider a proposal to terminate the agreement with the neighboring municipality of Petsjenga. The picture shows a Russian bus in Murmansk, which has the municipal coats of arms of its sister cities. This applies, among other things, to Tromsø. Photo: Kristina Kalinina / news – Someone has said that it is an advantage to have the agreements lying in the desk drawer on the day peace comes. In any case, you avoid having to negotiate new agreements before starting cooperation. – Yes, I also thought that until about a year ago. But the way Russia looks under Putin now, I don’t see this as important, says Iver B. Neumann. – How do you think the opposition, of whatever there is in Russia, can react to there being a total write-off of a possible collaboration? – I would like to believe that someone sees it as a clear message that they do not want anything to do with Putin’s Russia. What we like. Others might think it was a sin. Because then it will be even more work to formalize the collaboration when things change, he says. Wants to break friendship In Sør-Varanger, Dani Storbakk (H) is behind the proposal this time, breaking his Russian friendship agreement with Petsjenga and the letter of intent with Murmansk. – The agreement between Sør-Varanger and Petsjenga is based on two equal parties cooperating and exchanging information. Among other things, he writes about professional exchange for teaching staff. The propaganda in Russian schools makes it impossible to have such cooperation, believes Storbakk. He further elaborates that political leaders in both Pechenga municipality and Murmansk oblast (county) support the war in Ukraine. – They have worked with the mobilization of new military forces, visited occupied areas in Ukraine and welcomed deported children from Ukraine. The Duma in Russia has decided that Norway is an unfriendly country. Therefore, Sør-Varanger municipality cannot have a friendship agreement with Petsjenga municipality, writes Storbakk.
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Have reversed friendship agreements with Russia – time to terminate them – news Troms and Finnmark
