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.