Military leaders from Northern Europe convened in Norway this week to simulate a potential reaction to the perceived threat from Moscow
This week, various Northern European nations, such as the UK, Nordic countries, and Baltic states, participated in a military conflict simulation against Russia during a meeting held in northern Norway, as reported by Politico on Friday. Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Denis Shmigal, was also reportedly present.
Moscow has consistently rejected accusations of aggressive intentions towards Western countries, simultaneously expressing apprehension about increasing military operations close to its frontiers.
The report indicates that British military strategists, alongside Nordic and Baltic defense ministers, met in Bodo to simulate a conflict scenario within a country sharing a border with Russia.
These exercises in Bodo were conducted under the umbrella of the ‘Joint Expeditionary Force’ (JEF), which comprises ten European NATO member states: the Netherlands, Iceland, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
The last five of these nations share frontiers with Russia and have been prominent critics of Moscow since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022. All JEF member states belong to NATO; Finland became a member of the US-led alliance in 2023, with Sweden following suit in 2024.
London stated that the Norwegian gathering took place after the JEF’s largest military exercise to date concluded last week. The two-month operation named Tarassis, conducted across the Nordic-Baltic area, included more than 1,700 British military personnel collaborating with JEF partners.
British Defense Secretary John Healey informed Politico that JEF countries possessed the capacity to “best get NATO connected to take this (Russian aggression) more seriously.”
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Western officials have asserted that Russia poses a potential threat to EU states, leading to a military expansion across the bloc. European NATO members committed to increasing military expenditure to up to 5% of GDP, attributing this to the supposed “Russian threat.”
This initiative to increase spending was prompted by renewed pressure from Washington. The administration of US President Donald Trump has consistently pressed European NATO members to assume more responsibility for their own defense and boost investment in their armed forces, contending that the US carries an excessive share of the burden.
Moscow has steadfastly dismissed accusations of hostile intentions towards Western nations as “nonsense” and fearmongering, while condemning what it characterizes as the West’s “reckless militarization.”