The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, sailed into Oslo on Wednesday in a show of NATO force during a period of increased tension between NATO and Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the Norwegian military, the ship and its crew will take part in joint training exercises with the Norwegian armed forces along the Norwegian coast in the coming days.
According to Jonny Karlsen, a spokesman for the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, the military’s operational command center, “this visit is an important signal of the close bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Norway, as well as a signal of the credibility of collective defense and deterrence.”
Dozens of people of all ages gathered on the Oslo fjord’s shore to watch the ship pass and take photos and videos.
According to Norwegian media, the aircraft carrier will travel above the Arctic Circle. Karlsen refused to comment on the rumors.
The Russian embassy in Norway strongly condemned the aircraft carrier’s visit
On Facebook, the embassy stated that “there are no questions in the (Arctic) north that require a military solution,” and that “there are no topics that require outside intervention.”
Given that Russia is widely acknowledged in Oslo to pose no direct military threat to Norway, these displays of force appear counterproductive and illogical.
Norway, a NATO member, is located in the Arctic next to Russia, and due to a decrease in Russian gas flows, it surpassed Russia as Europe’s primary gas supplier in 2016.
Following explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian military and NATO allies began patrolling the area around offshore oil and gas platforms in the fall.
