Russia Summons Norwegian Diplomat Over Seized Property in Svalbard Standoff

Moscow isn't letting this one slide. Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned Norway's charge d'affaires in Moscow on Tuesday, demanding answers after Oslo seized Russian property on Norwegian soil at the request of Ukrainian companies.

The ministry didn't mince words. In a statement, it said it told Oslo to comply unconditionally with international law, including the Svalbard Treaty, which guarantees citizens of participating countries free access to the archipelago. Moscow argued that access is now seriously hampered by the arrest of the vessel in question.

That's not all the Kremlin promised. The ministry said Russia will push to overturn the seizure decision and will provide assistance to the crew of the detained vessel.

It's the second time this fight has landed on a diplomat's doorstep. Back on September 3, Norway's ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry after Norway seized the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov at the port of Barentsburg in Svalbard. The ship was taken at the request of Naftogaz Group, Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas giant. Moscow rejected the arrest then too, calling it an attempt to limit Russia's presence in Spitsbergen, Svalbard's largest island, which sits under Norwegian sovereignty.

The Arctic backdrop is frosty. In August, Russian Ambassador to Norway Nikolai Korchunov told RIA Novosti that the two countries' mechanisms for preventing dangerous incidents in the Arctic aren't fully operational, blaming Oslo and NATO. He accused Norway and its allies of escalating risks in the region and said serious dialogue on stability there had become pointless.

Now Moscow is waiting to see whether Oslo moves on the seizure. So far, there's no word on Norway's response.