Norway and the United States began negotiations to update the Mutual Defence Assistance Agreement signed in the 1950s. Norway received 300 fighter jets and 8,000 military vehicles from the United States for free during the Cold War. Total U.S. aid to Norway from the 1950s to 1996 was around $8.7 billion.
Red Party leader Bjørnar Moxnes said the renewed military agreement would lead to changes that would clash with Norway's security policy and interests, and criticised the public for not being informed of the negotiations as needed.
Meanwhile, Norway, which has strengthened military cooperation with its neighbours, signed a trilateral cooperation agreement with Sweden and Finland earlier in the week (21 September 2020). Russia's increased military presence in the Arctic region and worsening Russia-Norway relations on accusations of military espionage are thought to have accelerated these cooperation agreements. Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist described the agreement with Norway and Finland as “a message to Russia”.
