It was in late October the Norwegian frigate “KNM Thor Heyerdahl” sailed the waters of Isfjorden, including a visit to Longyearbyen, the main settlement on the Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic.
The 1920 Svalbard Treaty does not put a ban on Norwegian military presence at Svalbard but limits the use of the archipelago for possible war purposes. Russia is one of 46 signature parties to the treaty.
In the statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s portal, Maria Zakharova expressed dissatisfaction with decisions made by the Norwegians extending several laws on ports and fairways at Svalbard. This, she said, “implies the use of the archipelago’s infrastructure in the military planning of the defense of Norway, including the reception of reinforcement from NATO allies.” Läs artikel