Norway, US and UK Transatlantic Trilateral Security Dialogue
Contributing to a greater understanding of current and future challenges and opportunities in the transatlantic relationship for Norway, the US and the UK.
Norwegian security policy has had a transatlantic foothold for at least 70 years. For the foreseeable future, the US will remain Oslo’s most important security guarantor and its most important defence and security partner. However – and regardless of who is in the White House – Norway must prepare for the impact of major shifts in US policy and Washington’s pivot to Asia.
Meanwhile, and particularly in the aftermath of Brexit, the UK has the ambition to be a global security player, with a particular focus on Northern Europe. In this context, there may be opportunities for the UK and Norway to further strengthen bilateral defence and security policy cooperation, with the UK’s close ties with the US further strengthening Norway's relationship with both countries.
This project is run in collaboration between RUSI in London, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) in Oslo and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
Project sponsor
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The main task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to secure and promote Norway’s interests internationally. Norway’s interests are determined by such factors as its geographical location in a strategically important area, its open economy, its position as a coastal state and steward of substantial marine resources, and its extensive exports of oil and gas.
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Project team
Dr Neil Melvin
Director, International Security
International Security
Ed Arnold
Senior Research Fellow, European Security
International Security
Max Bergmann, Director, Europe Program, CSIS
Sean Monaghan, Visiting Fellow, Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program, CSIS
Gabriella Kristine Kattil Bolstad, Junior Research Fellow, NUPI
Karsten Friis, Senior Research Fellow, Head of Research group on security and defense, NUPI
Rolf Tamnes, Professor Emeritus, NUPI
Aims and objectives
Activities run between 2022 and 2023 with the following objectives:
- Develop a partnership between security policy research communities in Norway, the US and the UK.
- Contribute to a greater understanding of current and future challenges and opportunities in the transatlantic relationship for Norway, the US and the UK.
These aims will be achieved through:
- Producing professional and policy-oriented publications.
- Contributing to public debates and discussions on transatlantic security issues in Norway, the US and the UK.
- Developing networks within the transatlantic policy and think tank communities.
Project outputs
CSIS Seminar on Transatlantic Security Perspectives - hosted in Washington DC
NUPI Seminar about NATO and Nordic Security - 14 June 2022
On 14 June 2022, a group of experts met in Oslo to discuss NATO and Nordic Security. The  seminar was organised as part of a joint effort between NUPI, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI). The goal of this partnership is to foster a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the transatlantic relationship and how they will impact the US, UK and Norwegian security in particular. In addition to scholars from the three institutions, the participants came from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and representatives from the Norwegian defence and foreign ministries.
Find out more about the seminar here