General Eirik Kristoffersen, the chief of Norway’s armed forces, has urged the nation to escalate defence spending, anticipating a potential war with Russia within the next three years. The general expressed his concerns in an interview with the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, stressing the urgency of strengthening Norway’s defences given Russia’s unpredictable behaviour.
“The current window of opportunity will remain open for a year or two, perhaps three, which is when we will have to invest even more in our defence,” Gen Kristoffersen warned in the interview published on Sunday.
He highlighted the need to prepare for an uncertain and unpredictable world, emphasising the importance of a robust national defence.
The general underscored the rapid buildup of Russia’s weapons stockpiles, surpassing the expectations of NATO allies and intensifying the sense of urgency.
Norway, a NATO member, currently falls short of meeting the alliance’s requirement of spending two percent of GDP annually on defence. However, the country aims to reach this goal by 2026.
The warning echoes a growing chorus from Western leaders about the increasing likelihood of open conflict with Russia on the eastern flank, marking it as the most significant security threat facing Europe.
Last week, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius suggested that Vladimir Putin might choose to attack a NATO country within the next five to eight years.
General Micael Bydén, the head of the Swedish armed forces, had earlier urged Swedes to “prepare themselves mentally” for the outbreak of open conflict with Russia. NATO leaders are particularly alarmed by Putin’s apparent goal of expanding the former Russian empire, raising concerns about potential land grabs in neighbouring countries such as Finland and the Baltic states.
Finland, anticipating the threat, has already joined NATO, while Sweden’s request for membership was ratified by the parliament of Turkey last night after over a year of delays.
Hungary, a NATO member and EU state with growing ties to Russia, has not yet approved Sweden’s NATO membership.
