We must organize a security structure in Europe that ensures we do not see new Ukrainian wars. These are extremely important and existential issues, he says to the news agency NTB ahead of a meeting with NATO's other foreign ministers in Brussels.
In the short term, Ukraine needs to be given the opportunity to win the war, emphasizes Barth Eide. But he wants to see preparations for a post-war period.
This means, among other things, that when a ceasefire is in place, and it will happen sooner or later, we must ensure that Ukraine is not exposed to new attacks, he says, and adds that it will then require "more than a formal NATO invitation".
The US's incoming president Donald Trump has formulated new demands on his NATO allies, that they should reach a three-percent target where each country's military expenditure corresponds to three percent of its GDP. Norway is currently approaching that level.
We must prepare ourselves for an expectation that Europe needs to take a greater share of the responsibility. But it is also completely logical, especially now in a much more dangerous time, says Espen Barth Eide.
