Norway's Policy of Self-Imposed Military Restrictions: Contemporary Challenges and Contradictions

The article analyses the current state and prospects of Norway's policy of selfimposed military restrictions, which prohibit the deployment of foreign military bases and nuclear weapons on Norwegian territory. During the Cold War this policy played a crucial role in ensuring Northern Balance and maintaining regional stability in Northern Europe. Despite the official rhetoric of the Norwegian political leadership about commitment to the principles of the base policy regarding foreign military bases and the nuclear policy regarding non-deployment of nuclear weapons, nowadays the Norwegian authorities take steps that directly contradict self-imposed restrictions. These include the authorised deployment of U.S. rotational military contingents in northern Norway in 2016–2020, the admission of NATO nuclear submarines into Norwegian ports in the period from 2018 to 2024, as well as the creation of special areas for Norwegian-American military use in 2022–2024. The article demonstrates the reasons for transformation of self-imposed restrictions, including changes in the international system, growing interest in the militarisation of the Arctic, and accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. It also evaluates the prospects for Norway's complete abandonment of self-imposed restrictions.

Norway, NATO, security, self-imposed restrictions, base policy, nuclear policy