Researcher: Heavier weapons from Norway could escalate the Ukraine war
The United States announced earlier this week that Norway was among several countries sending heavier weapons to Ukraine. For security reasons, the Norwegian authorities have not confirmed the information.
We are talking about armored vehicles of the type M109, which means that Norway sends artillery. It is a much heavier shooter than what has been sent before, Klassekampen writes.
– One must be aware that Norway’s contribution naturally falls into a larger investment on the part of the United States where they send increasingly heavier weapons – to a greater extent. It can deal with more than enabling Ukraine to defend itself, says Wilhelmsen.
She points out that the war can go from a pure defense war for Ukraine to to a greater extent become a conflict between the great powers. And the danger of escalation has increased, Wilhelmsen believes.
– Firstly because no one seems interested in negotiations. Secondly, if there are such large arms supplies from the West that the Kremlin thinks it is realistic that Ukraine can take back Crimea by force, the Kremlin will act violently. I am convinced of that, she says.
The wagons are Norwegian surplus material and have been in emergency storage since 2020. The M109 cannons have a range of about 30 kilometers.
– This is the heaviest artillery Norway has, says Colonel Kristian Lien, head of artillery and air defense at the Army Armed Forces. He says it is “against unarmored targets, light vehicles or personnel”.