Norway PM 'prepared, but not afraid' of Russian incursion | CBC News

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Norway PM says Russian threat is real, welcomes closer defence ties with Canada

The prime minister of Norway says threats from Russia are part of the modern security picture and should be taken seriously.

In an interview with the CBC's Power & Politics, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told host David Cochrane "we are prepared, but not afraid" of a Russian incursion.

He said the threat is "real" and should be followed "very carefully," especially by countries closer to the Russian border — including Canada.

"Intelligence services of NATO countries are pointing to that threat. It is real. It's happening," Støre said.

The threat conversation came to the surface this week following a warning from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Russia is planning hybrid strikes on NATO territory.

Under this threat environment the Norwegian PM says regional groups must come together, welcoming Canada's recent move to seek membership in the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a collection of a few NATO nations whose mandate is to respond more quickly in a crisis.

The JEF was initially formed by the U.K., Netherlands, Nordic and Baltic countries, but Støre says it's now important to talk more closely with countries that he says, "share challenges and security risks," including Poland, Germany, Belgium and Canada.

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Støre says the JEF is helpful in cases when issues may be too big for a country on its own or it's not up to the scale of Article 5 — the NATO clause that requires alliance members to defend any other member that's been attacked — telling Power & Politics that NATO allies are engaged in "sophisticated debate" over the threshold for Article 5 to be triggered.

With Russia struggling to reach its strategic objectives in Ukraine, it could be wanting to test Ukraine's partners, says Støre.

Incidents in Europe this summer have raised those alarm bells for NATO partners.

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Norway PM says Russian threat is real, welcomes closer defence ties with Canada
The prime minister of Norway says threats from Russia are part of the modern security picture and should be taken seriously.
In an interview with the CBC's Power & Politics, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told host David Cochrane "we are prepared, but not afraid" of a Russian incursion.
He said the threat is "real" and should be followed "very carefully," especially by countries closer to the Russian border — including Canada.
"Intelligence services of NATO countries are pointing to that threat. It is real. It's happening," Støre said.

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