General Robert Mood om Grønland, USA, Russland og det norske Forsvaret

Robert Mood is a Norwegian general with over 40 years of extensive experience in the Armed Forces. His long military career spans from infantry basic training to top positions in NATO and UN operations. Mood began his career in 1977 at the Infantry NCO School and quickly advanced through roles as squad leader, platoon leader, and company commander in the Brigade in Northern Norway. He led the Telemark Battalion during the Kosovo operation (1999–2000), served as chief of the Army's combat arms and Army Inspector General after the 2005 scandal. Later, he became lieutenant general, head of the Armed Forces' veteran services, and leader of Norway's military mission at NATO in Brussels until his retirement in 2016. He served as chief of the UN observer force in Syria (UNSMIS, 2012) and earlier in the Middle East (UNTSO), as well as in Lebanon and Kosovo. Educated at the US Marine Corps University where he was the top student, Mood brings unique insight into Norwegian defense, NATO cooperation, US relations, and Arctic issues such as Greenland. With this background, Mood provides authoritative commentary on Norway's defense policy, NATO dynamics, US dependency, and strategic interest in Greenland. He has also written books on leadership and received the Fritt Ord Award in 2016 for courage in expression. In today's conversation, we discuss the level of the Norwegian Armed Forces—can it defend us on its own from external threats? How dependent are we on the USA? What will happen to Greenland, and why does the USA need Greenland? What is happening now that the ice in the Arctic is melting, and how does this affect the dynamics between the great powers? What interests do Russia and China have? And if Robert Mood were Minister of Defense with full powers for one day, what would he do with the Norwegian Armed Forces? Additionally, we touch on Iran and Mood's assessments of what is happening in the Middle East these days.