A total of 700 US soldiers from Alaska have arrived in Norway to perform joint manoeuvres alongside other NATO allies as part of the Swift Response drill.
The six US transport planes landed at Bardufoss, a key town near Tromso and Finnmark in the northernmost part of the country, which hosts military camps as well as facilities run by the Royal Armed Forces Academy.
Andrysiak pointed out that Alaska has the same environment and climate as northern Norway, which gives the parties ample opportunities to learn from each other.
General Brian Eifler of the US Army said he was happy to be in northern Norway and emphasised that the US military is mastering the Arctic conditions.
Norwegian Army Commander Major General Lars Lervik emphasised that the drill is part of the planned activities to strengthen NATO's performance. He said it was important to show “muscle and unity”. He also suggested that it is important for NATO to avoid getting into a situation that could escalate. He stressed that Russia had been warned of the drill in advance and that Norwegian and Russian militaries maintain contact despite the conflict in Ukraine, which has led to an unprecedented divide between the West and Russia.
A similar sentiment was voiced by Andrysiak.
“We don't practise to provoke Russia. They may perceive the drill as provocative, but the exercise is not designed for that. We also have similar operations in Latvia and northern Macedonia,” he told NRK.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, with the intention of “demilitarising and de-Nazifying” the country, after Kiev had intensified its war - which has already lasted eight years - against the Russian-speaking breakaway republics of the Donbass region.
In response, the West launched massive military deliveries to Ukraine, ranging from simple defence gear such as helmets, to advanced equipment such as howitzers and aircraft. The West also retaliated by introducing several rounds of punitive sanctions against high-profile Russian individuals, organisations, the financial sector and the energy sector of Russia, as well as other fields including sports and culture.
In the wake of the stand-off, the US administration is now considering an enhanced presence in Europe, and where exactly the reinforcements should be located. Among others, the Norwegian government decided earlier in April that Andøya airport will be a permanent reception base for allied forces.
Earlier in April, Nikolai Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Cooperation of the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned of risks of unintentional clashes with the NATO alliance in the Arctic, potentially causing serious damage to the fragile Arctic ecosystem. Among others, Korchunov cited NATO's massive international Cold Response drill held at the end of March in northern Norway with about 30,000 personnel from 27 states taking part.