OSLO, Norway (Chatnewstv.com) — As Europe shifts away from Russian fuel, Norway has emerged as the European Union’s most important energy lifeline — a role that experts warn also places the Nordic nation squarely in Moscow’s sights.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Norway has overtaken Russia as the EU’s largest supplier of pipeline natural gas, now providing nearly half of the bloc’s imports. It also supplies more than 13% of the EU’s petroleum oils, making it Europe’s second-largest contributor behind the United States.
“Europe has become more dependent on Norwegian gas,” Lars Christian Aamodt, chief of Norway’s National Security Authority, said in 2024.
“As the dependency increases, so will the threat and the risk.”
Norway is also positioning itself as a green energy partner for Europe, expanding cooperation on hydrogen, wind power and critical minerals under a 2024 EU–Norway agreement. But that integration has sparked domestic unease. Energy exports have pushed up prices at home, fueling political backlash and contributing to the collapse of Norway’s governing coalition earlier this year.
At the same time, security officials say Russia has stepped up hybrid warfare tactics that threaten energy infrastructure across Europe. Undersea cables in the Baltic have already been damaged in incidents blamed on Russian actors, while vessels from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” have been observed near Norwegian offshore platforms.
Norway currently operates more than 20 oil fields in the Norwegian and Barents seas, with new projects under development. Analysts warn that the combination of EU dependence, Russian sabotage threats and domestic political tensions is leaving Europe’s most vital new energy supplier exposed.
“Norway has become both a strategic asset and a vulnerability for Europe,” Aamodt said.
