Research project
Norway as an in-between for Russia: Ambivalent space, hybrid measures
It will investigate in depth Russia’s changing official view of recent NATO engagement in the High North and of Norway’s status within this endeavor and ascertain what means of force Russia sees fit in its approach to NATO. By coupling the study of Russia’s approach with a study of NATO's changing approach to Russia in the same period, we will uncover the interactive game that shapes the challenges for Norway as a small state ‘in-between’ a resurgent Russia and inside a reinvigorated NATO, paying particular attention to how notions of hybrid warfare play out in this game. Methodologically, the study scrutinizes official statements by combining quantitative textual tools with (qualitative) discourse analysis, maximizing efficacy and rigor.
The project will produce three policy briefs with complimentary ‘brownbag’ seminars, two co-financed academic peer-reviewed articles, as well as conference participation and communication to the general public. It is co-financed with the NFR sponsored WARU project (300923).
Project Manager
Participants
New publications
Russian reframing: Norway as an outpost for NATO offensives
Moscow increasingly views the ‘Collective West’ as an offensive actor and the High North as terrain for NATO ‘expansion’. Norway figures as an active partner in this endeavour. For Norway, this situation is precarious: to the degree that Norway is seen as an inimical ‘NATO in the North’, Norwegian policies across a range of issue-areas increasingly risk being perceived as actions in an existential Russia–West struggle. This is worrisome because a key pillar of official Norwegian policy towards Russia involves balancing NATO deterrence with reassurance. As the military/non-military distinction becomes blurred in the eyes of Russia this crucial balancing becomes very difficult – the intended ‘reassuring’ signal might not come across.
