Most Norwegians against joining EU, but debate is ongoing, Russian ambassador says

MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. Supporters of Norway's accession to the European Union are actively leveraging the current tensions between Brussels and Washington to advocate for Oslo's membership, but the majority of Norwegians remain opposed, according to Russia’s ambassador to Norway, Nikolay Korchunov, who shared his opinion in an interview with TASS.

"A strong pro-EU lobby in Norway is indeed attempting to capitalize on the imbalance in the transatlantic relationship - marked by increasing contradictions and uncertainty between the US and its European allies - as a rationale for swift EU accession," Korchunov explained. "However, most Norwegians still oppose joining the EU." He responded to questions about whether recent actions by US President Donald Trump might influence Norway’s potential EU membership, a topic previously covered by Politico.

The Russian ambassador pointed out that "the leaders of Norway’s two most influential political forces - the ruling Labor Party and the conservative Hoyre - have stated they will not pursue a new referendum on opening accession negotiations with the EU in the near future, in order to avoid further societal polarization on this issue."

He also noted that "the Progress Party, which currently leads in opinion polls, has traditionally been Eurosceptic."

Korchunov suggested that "some progress on this front might occur if supporters of European integration succeed in the upcoming referendum in Iceland."

From his perspective, "Norway’s accession to the EU would have little impact on Russia, as Norwegian authorities, even outside the union, already align with most of its anti-Russian measures - be it illegitimate sanctions, support for the Kiev regime, or Brussels’ plans to rearm Europe."