The British military announced on Wednesday the opening of a military base in Norway's Far North to bolster NATO capabilities in the Arctic amid concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine .
While Norway, bordering Russia, refuses to host permanent bases for foreign soldiers, that of Camp Viking must open for ten years north of Tromsø and accommodate commandos who will train in combat in cold conditions. extreme.
Deterrence
"
The location of the camp is ideal for deterring threats in the region and allows the UK to react quickly when needed to protect NATO's northern flank and its close ally Norway," the UK ministry said
. Defense in a statement.
This base, close to Norwegian military installations, will perpetuate the presence of British commandos in the area, where a thousand of them took part in maneuvers this winter.
Its construction was justified by "
the re-emergence of the Far North as a key theater of operations
" justifying "
new facilities for the modern era
".
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The Scandinavian country, which shares a 98 km border with Russia in the Far North, has provided Ukraine with multiple military equipment, including artillery and ammunition, to defend against the Russian invasion.
Regarding its neighbours, the conflict prompted Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership in May 2022, turning the page on their policy of military non-alignment in force since the 1990s, itself inherited from decades of constrained neutrality. or chosen.