Relationship dossier
Norway
Russia
Relationship assessment
Practical Arctic cooperation persists amid severe diplomatic and security confrontation.
Norway toward Russia
-45Norway has implemented sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and expelled 15 Russian diplomats in 2023, citing intelligence activity. At the same time, Norway has maintained practical cooperation with Russia on shared fisheries management.
Russia toward Norway
-50Russia has designated Norway an unfriendly state and imposed limits on Norwegian diplomatic representation in response to Norway’s actions. Russian military activity in the Arctic and disputes over intelligence activity have added to Norwegian security concerns; practical fisheries cooperation has continued despite wider tensions.
Overall relationship
-50The relationship combines durable practical cooperation over Arctic fisheries and a settled maritime boundary with a sharp deterioration in diplomatic and security ties after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and restrictions, and regional security concerns now outweigh the remaining areas of cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Norway and Russia have maintained practical cooperation on Arctic fisheries and concluded a maritime boundary agreement, but relations have become substantially adversarial. Norway has joined sanctions against Russia and reduced Russian diplomatic staffing following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia has responded with restrictions on Norwegian diplomatic representation and designated Norway an unfriendly state. Fisheries cooperation remains a notable area of practical engagement amid broader confrontation.
Areas of tension
- Norway’s participation in sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
- Reciprocal restrictions on diplomatic representation and expulsions of diplomats.
- Norwegian concerns about Russian intelligence activity and military posture in the Arctic.
Key developments
Norway and Russia signed a treaty delimiting their maritime boundary in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean.
Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats, identifying them as intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover.
Major uncertainties
- The present scope and implementation of bilateral fisheries cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of current Russian military and intelligence activity specifically directed toward Norway is difficult to assess.