The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the waters of Oslo; the ship and its crew will conduct NATO exercises with the Norwegian Armed Forces along the coast of the country in the coming days.

The Russian Embassy in Oslo condemned the aircraft carrier’s visit to Oslo. “There is not a single issue in the north that requires a military solution, not a single topic that requires external intervention. Given that Oslo recognizes that Russia does not pose a direct military threat to Norway, such demonstrations of force look illogical and harmful,” the Russian Embassy said in a comment to Norwegian journalists.

The Norwegian Armed Forces, in turn, noted that the aircraft carrier’s arrival allowed the country to develop cooperation and relations with “its most important ally, the United States.”

“This visit is an important signal of the close bilateral relationship between the US and Norway and a signal of the credibility of collective defense and deterrence,” said Jonny Karlsen, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, the operational command center of the military.