Russia says that U.S. military activities on a Norwegian air base are worrying and risk destabilizing that part of the world.
The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed the decision of the U.S. Air Force to send a squadron to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen in the Arctic in November. The Russian government also expressed concerns to Norway over its work with foreign militaries, according to Reuters.
“The sheer fact of the possible presence of the U.S. Air Force on the island, albeit occasional, is alarming,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “We hope Oslo will be responsible and far-sighted in building its policy in the north and will refrain from actions that undermine regional stability and damage bilateral relations.”
The Air Force conducted a November mission to Jan Mayen to test whether the island’s air base could handle U.S. C-130J Super Hercules military transport planes landing there.
Moscow’s concerns are the latest additional strain on its relationship with Norway. On Feb. 4, Russia accused Norway of cutting off Moscow’s access to the archipelago of Svalbard, a string of Arctic islands about 500 miles north of Norway’s mainland.
