Jonas Gahr Støre would very much like to show off as host to Mette Frederiksen, Ulf Kristersson, Petteri Orpo, Kristrún Frostadóttir and Mark Carney by striking the most aggressive tones against the United States. Støre distances himself from the war against Iran, but he would very much like to have “NATO” involved in a strategy for the High North (nordområdene).
NATO without the United States is next to nothing. When the Europeans decline to stand with Israel and the United States in the Persian Gulf, it is a political demonstration, but also because they have nothing there that would make any real difference.
But the fact that they deliver such a demonstrative rejection leaves bad blood. This is a real war. Instead of support, the United States and Israel receive moral lectures.
– It is not our war. We are not part of this war. We did not start it. But we are all affected by it, says Støre.
It also appears unclear how the war will develop, and not least how it is to be concluded, he points out.
– This is a war that is escalating, not de-escalating. We will use all the channels we have to encourage the parties to find a solution that does not escalate the situation, he says.
Washington must be thinking: what are such allies for, who cannot even give verbal support.
When the Scandinavian countries in addition work for Palestine and deliver the same moralising towards Israel, it may be that the new superpowers of the Middle East eventually have enough and tell Western Europe to get lost.
Mette Frederiksen complains about Greenland, but will probably lose that part of the Danish Realm (riksfellesskapet) if the war against Iran turns out favourably.
Mette Frederiksen for her part wants a permanent NATO presence in the Arctic. There NATO’s new “Arctic Sentry” strategy will be decisive, the prime ministers point out.
Frederiksen also highlighted Donald Trump’s repeated statements that the United States “must have” Greenland.
– We have been subjected to unacceptable pressure from the United States and the President of the United States, she said, and warmly thanked her Nordic neighbours and Canada for their unconditional support.
Støre also believes that the pressure from the United States has been unacceptable – both regarding Greenland and Canada, which ended up in a brutal tariff war with Trump.
– The United States has policies in some areas with which we disagree and which worry us. The pressure on Greenland is unacceptable. The pressure on Canada has also been unacceptable, he says.
This is how leaders speak who have never been at war. But they may well have close contact with war in Ukraine. That is not too late.
Western Europe will not allow Russia to sell more oil on the world market, but Trump does not ask them. He understands their game plan perfectly well. It is to defeat both Putin and Trump, for with high oil prices Trump will not win the midterm elections. That is obvious. Western European leaders would prefer to get rid of him.
They boast of their rules-based order.
The six countries agree on much, not least when it comes to maintaining a rules-based world order founded on human rights and freedom of expression, Støre emphasises.
Støre becomes irritated if anyone questions whether matters truly stand so well with, for example, freedom of expression.
Carney was the guest of honour at the meeting. He is in China’s pocket, and in reality the others are as well:
If you do everything to undermine Donald Trump, you are in reality working for China.
The Nordic prime ministers understand that Ukraine is now becoming their responsibility. Ukraine has fallen far down the list of priorities in Washington.
The war in the Middle East also affects the situation for Ukraine. There is now considerable concern that American Patriot missiles, on which Ukraine’s air defence depends, will now be sent to the Middle East instead.
– We are now very engaged in strengthening Ukraine’s air defence by producing new types of air defence that are cheaper and more effective in the situation they are in, says Støre.
– I believe that with developments in the Middle East we must simply expect that the United States’ attention will move very strongly in that direction. And then it is the case that Europe must contribute more for Ukraine.
– What we foresee in 2026 is that Norway and Germany together will deliver roughly half of the military support to Ukraine. That says a great deal, he says.
The rules-based order that Støre and Carney boast of is a fetish word without content. Støre refuses to relate to the war and believes in resolutions.