Norway says it has decided against allowing the US or NATO to deploy ballistic missile defence systems on its territory.

Norway was under pressure by its US and NATO allies to evaluate and accept sensors that would identify any incoming missiles, potentially even intercepting them.

According to local media, after what it called a “broader security policy evaluation”, the Norwegian government has announced that even though it’s significantly boosting its defense budget for 2020 because of Russia’s own military activity in the Arctic, it won’t include acquisition of the sensors or anti-ballistic missiles.

As newspaper Klassekampen reported this week, the evaluation put Norway in a spot between its ally (the US) and its neighbour in the north (Russia), which has complained bitterly about installation of the missile defense system in both Romania and Poland.

In 2017, Russia warned Norway that there would be consequences of joining the NATO ballistic missile defense (BMD) plans.