When it comes to security policy and views on Russia, the Nordic countries stand united. That became clear after a joint Nordic edition of the debate programme ’Debatten’ on Wednesday evening, broadcast simultaneously in all the Nordic countries under the headline ’Nordens svar på en urolig verden’ (’The Nordic answer to a turbulent world’, ed.). Calling it a debate might be overstating it, though, as the ministers never got beyond exchanging polite pleasantries. Still, the programme did reveal a few interesting differences – and even a brief glimpse of humour and personality.Oversættelsesdisclaimer

That came when Norway’s finance minister, Jens Stoltenberg, recounted the scene from the fateful NATO summit in July 2018, when Trump and his team had packed their bags and threatened to leave the alliance, but where, at the last moment, it was possible to get the president to stay if Europe gave him credit for the fact that they were now rearming by 33 billion euros.