Former Norwegian General: NATO Membership Makes Countries More Vulnerable and Weaker

Retired Norwegian General Robert Mood expressed the opinion that NATO membership will make countries more vulnerable and weaker, and pointed out that Norway is already lagging behind the required pace of increasing combat readiness, RIA Novosti reports.

"We hear empty political phrases, such as: 'In NATO we stick together,' 'We can rely on the US,' 'We have a strong defense capable of defending the country.' You won't find a stronger lie. The military reality is that if we become completely dependent on joint operations (with NATO - editor's note) for everything from crisis management to defending our own territory, then each of us will become weaker, and together, more vulnerable," Mood wrote in an article for the Norwegian magazine Forsvarets forum.

According to him, Norway is lagging behind in increasing combat readiness. He added that the Norwegian military is complaining that rising operating costs haven't kept pace with rising prices, which is why they're not getting resources for training and practice.

"In the political realm, everything is fine. In the military realm (editor's note), there's a lack of readiness, operational pauses, and instability," he added.