Korea’s unfinished war: The UN Command 73 years after the armistice
Norway's role in the Korean War is largely forgotten at home, but South Korea still remembers it. During the war, 683 Norwegians served at NORMASH...
The NB8–Ukraine Security Nexus: Shaping Europe’s Future Defence Architecture
Europe’s security order is undergoing a structural transformation against the backdrop of a multipolar world. Russia’s protracted war against Ukraine and its full-scale sub-threshold warfare against Europe are creating a security environment in which mistakes will carry historic consequences. In this emerging security landscape, Ukraine is no longer merely a recipient of security assistance; it is an important contributor to the development of Europe’s defence capacity. The Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8)-Ukraine security nexus has the potential to become the operational core of a wider European response to Russia’s long-standing security threat. To achieve this, Ukraine must be integrated into Europe’s emerging security architecture now. Data from the Everywhere War Tracker underscores the urgency: more than 450 incidents in the Euro-Atlantic region between 2022 and October 2026, in which Russia’s role has been established. At the same time, although every NB8 state concluded a 10-year bilateral security cooperation agreement with Ukraine, turning these agreements into operational partnerships has proved difficult and slow: for instance, a solid rocket fuel plant planned in Denmark by Fire Point has been delayed until 2027. What else, beyond its battlefield experience, can Ukraine offer Europe? Why might a “frozen” war turn out to be the calm before a larger storm? What role should Ukraine play in European security? You will find the answers to each of these questions in the report “The NB8–Ukraine Security Nexus: Shaping Europe’s Future Defence Architecture”. The report was prepared by the Sahaidachnyi Security Center (SSC) in cooperation with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS) at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI).
Science diplomacy and sovereignty in Svalbard
Power politics and security dynamics in the Arctic increasingly manifest themselves in international research and science collaboration. Changes are visible also in the archipelago of Svalbard, where research is increasingly marked by strategic competition and framed in security policy terms. To a greater extent than before, research in the Arctic is defined by security measures and cautiousness. This Policy Brief discusses how Svalbard’s status as both a geopolitical hotspot and a global laboratory for climate research makes for a difficult balancing act.
Hvordan bør Norge forvalte rominfrastrukturen i nord?
How should Norway manage its space infrastructure in the High North when it is at once a security asset, an economic resource and an arena for great-power rivalry? Amid growing pressure from state and commercial actors, Norway’s ability to monitor its own maritime areas, contribute to stability on Svalbard and remain relevant in allied cooperation increasingly depends on this infrastructure.
Breakfast seminar: The NB8-Ukraine Security Nexus: Shaping Europe’s Future Defence Architecture
In this seminar, we will hear from four experts from Ukraine, Sweden and Norway on how the NB8-Ukraine partnership is evolving, what is needed next, and the role of this partnership for the European security architecture.
NB8 and the Drone Challenge
Drone incursions in the Baltic States and Finland have made clear that this is no longer a distant battlefield concern. This brief argues that as the NB8 framework matures into an increasingly like-minded security community, drone cooperation could stimulate market integration. A standardised, modular drone platform architecture, a European drone defence “Platform market” model, could give the countries the economy of scale that they otherwise lack.
Finland's President Alexander Stubb at NUPI
NUPI is proud to present a meeting with the President of the Republic of Finland, H.E. Alexander Stubb.
Norwegian-German space collaboration: A pathway to Europe
This brief examines the renewed Norwegian-German partnership in space and its strategic importance for Norwegian foreign policy and the country’s space ambitions. The analysis explores how the partnership reflects Europe's push for strategic autonomy and assesses how Norway can leverage its unique space assets to secure a stronger role in European space cooperation despite being a non-EU member. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first visit to Norway at Andøya Spaceport in March 2026 kicked off a new ambition for Norwegian-German cooperation in space, with a focus on space-based surveillance, secure satellite communication, and launch capabilities from the spaceport. The partnership shows new signs of conceptualizing space as a highly cross-sectoral domain where joint capacity-building is needed. Where Germany brings industrial scale and technological breadth, Norway contributes with specialized expertise, research environments, and a unique geographic position for space activities in the High North. The partnership could strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and security, but its success will depend on navigating EU regulations governing third-country participation, ensuring long-term Norwegian investment and engagement, and establishing pathways for collaboration. The collaboration with Germany has the potential to position Norway as a leading Arctic spacefaring nation and a key partner to European in space.