Not known if in response to a flotilla of Russian warships sailing past Norway en route to Syria, Norway announced that U.S. could station over 300 soldiers within its borders. Though it is on a trial basis, this decision is one that significantly goes against Norway’s diplomacy of not allowing foreign allies to post soldiers on its soils.
Norway’s announcement stressed that the decision was necessary as being a member of NATO, allied support requires military knowledge of Norwegian terrain, military operations, and inter-relationships. It is important to note that the U.S. and Norway are members of NATO whereby Russia is not.
Russia’s own acknowledgement of Norway’s decision. Diplomatically questions the need for the U.S. military posting when instead why does Norway not increase its own military. Actually, Russia wants neither of these Allied options possibly as a result of the growing tension between Russia and the West due to the increase in conflicts between Ukraine and Syria,
More than likely, this trial of allowing the posting of the soldier is not going to be a trial but a permanent fixture of U.S. military personnel. If at any time the relationship between Russia and the West becomes strained, it is not hard to deduct that Russia’s concern with the Allied soldiers stationed in Norway will be become more of an issue. Strategically, the placement of Allied troops enables the quick deployment into Russia if necessary which is the real concern of Russia. At this time, Russia is not going to publically state this concern. For Norway, the Allied posting shores of its own military putting them in a stronger defensive position.
Hopefully, the posting of the U.S. soldiers is no more than that.