Norway: Siltanews – News Desk
Norway was having to rely on Denmark’s prime minister instead of its own this week, when leaders of the European Union (EU) gathered to respond to new challenges from the US and Russia. Since Norway has never joined the EU, it was left out of important new crisis meetings called after the US’ Trump administration set off more shocks at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) during the weekend.
US Vice President JD Vance opted to criticize Europe’s failure to embrace right-wing political parties instead of criticizing Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. It also became clear that European leaders won’t be included in upcoming peace talks between the new right-wing US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. US leaders are now nurturing ties to Russian leaders, instead of to their long-time European allies.
There were some mixed signals from Trump’s envoys, however, so EU foreign ministers in Munich for the important annual conference quickly banded together for so-called “crisis meetings” on Sunday. Norway’s foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, was also still in Munich but he wasn’t invited, presumably because Norway isn’t part of the EU. Nor were either Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre or Norway’s new finance minister Jens Stoltenberg, both of whom also were in Munich.