US Marines arrive in Stjordal, Norway January 16, 2017. © Ned Alley / Reuters
Norway has requested the US to increase the number of US Marines deployed in the country and lend them for longer.
According to reports, Norway will ask the US to station 700 Marines on its territory, starting in 2019. This number is over two times higher in comparison to 330 Marines that are currently deployed. The US troops will be based in the Inner Troms region of the Norwegian Arctic, close to the Russian border. The rotation of the new US forces arriving in Norway will last for a five-year period.
According to Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide, decision did not constitute the establishment of a permanent US base was not targeted at Russia.
“There are no American bases on Norwegian soil,” she said, adding the idea had broad parliamentary support.
At the same time, it’s clear that no matter how you describe US military factilities in Norway – premanent bases or temporary facilities – the US military presence near the Russian border is growing.
