Norway nevertheless relies on the military bloc\u2019s nuclear deterrence for security,its prime minister has said<\/p>\n
Norway will not host nuclear weapons on its territory, as it bases its security on NATO strategic deterrence, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has said. Sweden\u2019s and Denmark\u2019s top defense officials have said their nations would be open to such a deployment, however.
\nDuring a press conference alongside the prime ministers of other Nordic states and Canada in Oslo on Sunday, Store was asked about opening discussions on loosening rules on nuclear weapons.
\n\u201cWe are not changing legislation. We don\u2019t have to. We have our clear policy. There will be no stationing of nuclear weapons in Norway,\u201d he said.
\nHe added that Oslo is open to potential strategic cooperation talks with Paris, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s offer to deploy nuclear weapons on other NATO nations\u2019 territory.
\nHowever, any new initiative should not \u201cweaken\u201d the bloc\u2019s existing nuclear policy, Store said.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Macron\u2019s nuclear posturing meets his laughably small arsenal<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Macron gave a keynote speech on Paris\u2019 new nuclear strategy, in which he said the country would increase its arsenal and outlined the \u201ctemporary deployment\u201d of France\u2019s strategic nuclear bombers in allied NATO nations.
\nJust days later, the Finnish government said it would seek legislative changes to allow nuclear weapons to be hosted on its territory.
\nMoscow has condemned that step, warning it will lead to \u201can escalation of tensions on the European continent.\u201d
\nShould Finland threaten Russia by deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Moscow will \u201ctake appropriate measures,\u201d Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Moscow warns new NATO member against hosting nukes<\/p>\n
Helsinki has since repeatedly downplayed the decision, stressing that Finland does not want to host nuclear weapons and that NATO has no plans for such a deployment.
\nThe moves come amid a resurgence of European discussions on strategic deterrence, following the lapse of the last nuclear arms control treaty binding Russia and the US, which possess the largest arsenals in the world by a large margin.
\nMoscow maintains that it does not threaten European nations but will aim its nuclear arsenal at any country that hosts nuclear weapons trained on Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Norway nevertheless relies on the military bloc\u2019s nuclear deterrence for security,its prime minister has said Norway will not host nuclear weapons on its territory, as it bases its security on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31223,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t