Distant war threatens Arctic livelihoods


Mount Humpen near the port of Kirkenes, a town of 3,500 in the far north of Norway. The fighting in Ukraine has disrupted a region in northern Norway that had thrived on cross-border trade and cooperation with Russia. — Photos: ©2023 The New York Times Company

IN a corner of Norway’s far north, just 8km from the border with Russia, road signs give directions in Norwegian and Russian. Locals are used to crossing from one country to the other visa-free: Norwegians to fill up on cheap Russian fuel; Russians to hit the Norwegian malls.

A few years ago, those cross-border ties inspired Terje Jorgensen, the director of the Norwegian port of Kirkenes, to propose closer ties with the Russian port of Murmansk to build on the surging interest in cross-Arctic shipping routes, which connect Asia to Western Europe. He wanted to develop joint standards for sustainability and easier transport between the two ports.

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

StarExtra , StarDots

   

Next In Focus

Fearless femmes get their due
The birth rate battle
Beauty queen in ‘exile’
Selling a Bohemian dream
Trump’s revenge looms
Of chilling warnings and bullets
Ocean’s bottom – in the eyes of sea lions
Iran debates whether it could make a deal with Trump
Food before flowers
China’s first-wave tycoons are retiring. Are their kids ready to step up?

Others Also Read