“The codfish, they don’t see the border, so we help every boat in our area,” he says, and that means as many Russian boats as Norwegian.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though, that tension isn’t so low, and Bratbak is worried.
Years ago, in a rare case, a Russian trawler fled from a coast guard ship, into Russian waters — with Norwegian inspectors on board.
“In these days, Russia can use other methods to negotiate.
As a founding member of NATO, Norway’s government has joined the rest of Europe in isolating Russia.
The rotating chair of that group is currently Russia, and as such the council has suspended all activities, including crucial research on climate change.
Holmen isn’t in contact with those friends right now.
Guro Brandshaug is CEO of the Kirkenes Conference, an annual businesses summit between Russia and Norway.
With Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, she says, it was tense.
“Everything that has been built up over the last 30 years, was just washed out in a few days.
The new Iron Curtain severed personal ties, economic links and even scuttled issues of mutual survival, Nilsen says.
But it’s chilling that many local officials across the border, as well as 700 rectors and university presidents in Russia, have issued strong statements supporting Putin.
“It will take many, many years I’m afraid, to get back to that trust that we have gained through these 25 years of cooperation.