Croatian President Zoran Milanović has provoked strong reactions in Norway after suggesting that the Svalbard archipelago might be more useful to the United States than Greenland, comments widely deemed undiplomatic by Norwegian media.
Milanović argued that Greenland is not critical to U.S. security, except in the unlikely event of extreme Arctic ice melting causing a global catastrophe. As an alternative, he cited Svalbard, emphasizing its strategic importance due to maritime routes that remain ice-free thanks to the Gulf Stream, calling the archipelago an “interesting topic for consideration” while describing Greenland as “useless,” according to Index.hr.
Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported a response from Eivind Vad Peterson, State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who emphasized that Svalbard is an integral part of Norway, legally and politically, and cannot be compared to Greenland. He added that Norway’s far north is a vital strategic region, managed with over a century of experience dealing with security challenges, including Russian presence on Svalbard.
The diplomatic tension prompted Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić, during a visit to Norway, to clarify that Milanović’s statements do not reflect the official position of the Croatian government, a stance that Norwegian officials reportedly welcomed.
Norwegian tabloid Verdens Gang cited political analyst Maja Sojtarić, who interpreted Milanović’s comments as a populist move for domestic audiences, possibly directed at Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, with whom Milanović has a history of verbal clashes. Sojtarić also suggested that part of Croatia’s frustration stems from a perceived humiliation over France’s sale of fighter jets to Serbia.
Local authorities on Svalbard criticized the remarks as well. Terje Aunevik, Mayor of Longyearbyen, called the idea “twisted,” stressing that Svalbard is indisputably part of Norway with a clear legal status. He expressed surprise that the Croatian President positioned himself as an expert on the Arctic, stating such comments cannot be taken seriously.
