MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US Marine Corps are scheduled to establish a "limited rotational force presence" at the Royal Norwegian Air Force Vaernes Air Station starting January 2017, the Norwegian defense ministry announced Monday.
"Of course, we paid attention to this fact. We believe that this contradicts the Norwegian policy of not stationing foreign military bases in peacetime on its territory," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with Norway's NRK broadcaster.
Zakharova warned against being mislead about the rotational US presence, saying "the specific troops will change, but the presence will be continuous."
"It appears that the Norwegian government's decision is another link in the chain of ongoing US-led military preparations, which have intensified in recent years against the background of anti-Russian hysteria," she stressed. "This step is obviously not conducive to maintaining stability and security in Northern Europe."
