Latest news with #HaltbakkBunkers
Al Jazeera
25-03-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Could US forces in Europe face a refusal of supply and support?
At the start of March, Norwegian marine fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers refused to service a United States warship, calling on others to boycott the US fleet. Haltbakk CEO Gunnar Gran appeared to have been incensed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public humiliation in the White House by US President Donald Trump for allegedly being ungrateful for US military support to defend his country from a Russian invasion. 'Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick. … No Fuel to Americans!' the company wrote in a Facebook post. The company later deleted the post, and the Norwegian government quickly insisted that US warships would continue to enjoy 'the supply and support they require'. But the incident highlighted the dependence of US forces in Europe on local suppliers and government goodwill. There have been moments in history when European refusal to assist US forces has greatly complicated US operations. At the outbreak of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, both Greece and Cyprus refused to allow US ships and planes helping Israel to refuel, forcing them to rely on British assistance. Days before then-President George W Bush's invasion of Iraq in 2003, Turkiye refused to allow US planes to use its air force base at Incirlik or to cross Turkish airspace. Partly for such reasons, US forces have built redundancies into their supply chain. The US Sixth Fleet has a major resupply base in Greece's Souda Bay near Chania, Crete, whose mayor in 2005 wrote to the US ambassador saying, 'We don't want your warships. We want your cruise ships full of doctors and lawyers.' Demetries Andrew Grimes was US naval attache to Greece at the time and in reaction to that expanded US access from three to 11 ports because other mayors found the offer attractive. 'A single small ship that comes in to use a port facility will run between $80,000 and $120,000 a day, [including] the water and the fuel and the supplies and the trash removal, tugboat operations. … We were spending about 350 million euros [$379m] a year in Greece just on bunkering fuel,' he told Al Jazeera. In interviews with Al Jazeera, European NATO officers painted a picture of seamless cooperation. 'Military-to-military it's business as usual,' a European military source told Al Jazeera. 'We have no concerns whatsoever about the US commitment to its obligations in Europe. We just need to keep our head down, do a good job and be a good ally.' Keir Giles, Russia and Eurasia expert at Chatham House think tank, told Al Jazeera that Haltbakk's refusal of bunkering service was 'counterproductive' because it alienated 'precisely people that we need to keep on side, which is the US forces that are actually present in place'. Until now, the assumption was that the US saw European security as vital to its own. 'The access we have in Europe with our ports and bases from Spain to Italy to Greece to Türkiye to Germany – they're there for our benefit,' retired US General Ben Hodges, who commanded US forces in Europe from 2014 to 2018, told Al Jazeera. 'They're not guarding Greeks or Turks or Germans.' For instance, any Russian marine traffic sailing from St. Petersburg into the Atlantic Ocean has to cross Denmark's Skagerrak Strait, less than 20km (12 miles) across at its widest point. NATO officers told Al Jazeera that is an area where a sea denial operation can bar even Russian nuclear-armed submarines from getting through. Russia has an alternative route into the Atlantic through the Barents Sea, but that is guarded by the navies of Norway and the United Kingdom, and the passages around Greenland, Iceland and Norway are sometimes referred to as a 'kill zone' for Russian navy ships and submarines. Yet the Trump administration has offended Denmark by asserting it will seize Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory, and it has offended Norway and other European allies by saying it will not defend Europeans who 'don't pay' their fair share to NATO, calling its mutual defence clause into question – something no other US president has done. Most recently, Trump has threatened Canada. 'These actions, threatening Canada, threatening Denmark, will have consequences for us,' Hodges said. Asked if he thought there would be more incidents, he said, 'It's possible.' Some experts told Al Jazeera the Trump White House has abandoned the decades-old doctrine of making common cause with Europe on security. 'The United States navy will have a strong interest in [these forward positions]. Will the Trump administration share that interest? That's a whole other question,' Giles said. 'What's happening in Europe now is what happened in Iraq and Libya years ago – America's departure is leaving a security vacuum,' said retired Greek General Andreas Iliopoulos, a former deputy commander of the Hellenic army. 'If the US tries to do this reset with Russia in the way Trump is doing it, then these bases in Europe lose all their strategic value. That's clear,' Iliopoulos told Al Jazeera. 'The Russian threat has ceased to exist. Trump and Putin are acting like allies at the moment.' The attraction for Trump in a security understanding with Russia is 'to draw Russia away from China', Iliopoulos said, but it is also likely about cost savings. The US European Command (EUCOM) has about 84,000 personnel stationed in Europe, more than a third of its total overseas personnel. The US pays the full personnel and equipment costs but benefits through arms sales to Europe. Europe pays a third of basing costs but also enjoys income from basing. Doubts about the US commitment to European security have undermined faith in NATO's mutual defence guarantee. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reaffirmed it, but Trump has made it conditional on defence spending levels he has not defined. Many Europeans have wondered whether US forces stationed in Europe would even be ordered into action in the event of an attack. 'Let's not rule out some very big surprises if the anticonstitutional nature of the Trump-Musk actions continue to a point where there finally starts to be some signs of resistance from within the US system,' Giles said, referring to Trump assigning billionaire Elon Musk arbitrary powers to downsize the federal government. Asked if the process of decoupling the US from Europe is irreversible, he said, 'It will be soon, unless it is either resisted within the United States or something unexpected happens.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The facts behind claims a Norwegian fuel supplier stopped servicing US Navy ships
Following a contentious meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, 2025, during which Trump accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful enough for the U.S.'s financial support in Ukraine's war with Russia, claims (archived) circulated that a Norwegian marine fuel provider had stopped selling fuel to U.S. Navy vessels including warships and submarines in Norway. The claim persisted (archived) on X (archived) for days and also appeared on Facebook (archived), Threads (archived), Bluesky (archived) and Reddit (archived). Some posts claimed the Norwegian fuel supplier, which was unnamed in most examples, had already taken action and refused to sell fuel to American vessels, while others indicated that the company "said" it would. According to Norwegian news reports, Haltbakk Bunkers, a Norwegian oil and shipping company, indeed posted on Facebook after the Zelenskyy-Trump meeting that it would no longer supply American forces in Norway. However, that post was later deleted for reasons that were unknown. We've reached out to the company to independently verify the Norwegian news outlets' reporting and are waiting for a response. In other words, there was no primary evidence to confirm the alleged Facebook post by Haltbakk Bunkers, which said it had stopped providing fuel to American ships. Furthermore, it was unclear whether, or how many, ships were affected by the purported decision. According to the Norwegian news reports, the Feb. 28 Facebook post read: We have today been witnesses to the biggest s***show ever presented "live on tv" by the current American president and his vice president. Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing tv show. It made us sick. Short and sweet. As a result, we have decided to immediate STOP as fuel provider to American forces in Norway and their ships calling at Norwegian ports. "Noo Fuel to Americans!" We encourage all Norwegians and Europeans to follow our example. SLAVA UKRAINA The company's CEO, Gunnar Gran, also repeated that sentiment in interviews with Norwegian journalists. In our request to Haltbakk Bunkers, we asked for the company to confirm the existence and wording of the alleged Facebook post, as well as say why it was deleted. We also reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense for comment and are waiting for a reply. On March 2, Norway's Minister of Defense, Tore O. Sandvik, said Haltbakk Bunkers' decision not to service American forces was not part of a broader governmental decision and that the country's vessels would continue to receive the "supplies and support" they needed from Norway generally. Sandvik said: We have seen Norwegian and international media reports that have created uncertainty about support for US naval vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the government's policy. I can confirm that all requested support has been provided. Norway and the US have a close and strong defense partnership, and US forces will continue to receive the supplies and support they need from Norway. The Norwegian Ministry of Defense said via email on March 4 that, aside from that statement, it had no further comment. Haltbakk Bunkers also stopped servicing Russian customers at the start of Ukraine war, according to Kystens Næringsliv, a Norwegian maritime news outlet. The company has more than 2,200 Norwegian and international customers, according to its website. In an interview with VG, a Norwegian tabloid newspaper, Gran said that stopping service to American forces in Norway likely wouldn't have large economic consequences, and that the company made the decision to show solidarity with Ukrainians. Gran said: We follow our moral compass. We support the Ukrainians. We believe our support is disproportionate and do not expect anything from others. The US will be fine without us. We only show moral support. We have our convictions and we stand by them. provided Norweigian-to-English translations of quotes from Gran and Sandvik in this article. Bamforth, John. "TRUMP v ZELENSKYY ." Facebook, 2 Mar. 2025, CUSTOMERS – Haltbakk Bunkers. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025. @FoonTsang. "MARCH 3, 2025." X, 4 Mar. 2025, Forsvarsdepartementet. "Uttalelse fra forsvarsminister Tore O. Sandvik om oppslag knyttet til støtte til amerikanske fartøyer." 2 Mar. 2025, "A Major Norwegian Fuel Company Is Refusing to Provide Fuel to U.S. Warships after the 'Shitshow' in the White House Yesterday over Ukraine." Bluesky, 1 Mar. 2025, @liberalpropaganda. "A Norwegian Fuel Company Said They Will No Longer Supply Fuel to the US Military or American Ships Because of Ukraine." Threads, 2 Mar. 2025, LICON, ADRIANA GOMEZ. "What They Said: Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance's Heated Argument in the Oval Office." AP News, 28 Feb. 2025, Loe, Isak Løve Pilskog. "Norsk oljeselskap etter Trump-tirade: – Ingen drivstoff til amerikanere!" VG, 1 Mar. 2025, Svendsen, Ketil. "Nekter å selge drivstoff til amerikanerne: – Vi har et moralsk kompass." 1 Mar. 2025, @TheCalvinCooli1. "🚨Just in: Norway Fuel Supplier Haltbakk Bunkers Has Stopped Refueling the U.S. Navy Ships and Has Urged Other Europe Countries to Follow Suit." X, 1 Mar. 2025, u/Listelmacher. "Norwegian Fuel Supplier Refuses U.S. Warships over Ukraine." Reddit, 1 Mar. 2025, @VipSaeid84420. "Norwegian Company Stood behind Zelnski; The US Was Boycotted." X, 4 Mar. 2025,
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Norway to keep supplying US Navy with fuel despite company boycott call
Norway made clear that it will continue supplying fuel for U.S. Navy ships after a private marine fuel supplier threatened to boycott the U.S. in response to deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relations. "We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government's policy," Norway's Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement Sunday, according to a report from Reuters. The statement comes after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers took to social media Friday and threatened a boycott of the U.S. Navy in response to President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's heated Oval Office exchange. Trump Says Ukraine Rare Earth Minerals Deal Will Lead To 'Sustainable' Future Between Us, Ukraine "Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick... No Fuel to Americans!," the company said in a Facebook post that has since been deleted. The company's CEO, Gunnar Gran, confirmed to the Norwegian newspaper VG that he had decided not to supply the U.S. military, according to the Reuters report, though the company also acknowledged that the move would only have a "symbolic" impact, since Haltbakk Bunkers does not have a fixed contract with the U.S. government. Read On The Fox News App The company's threat comes after a heated exchange in the Oval Office among Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance on Friday, when Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful" to Trump in the White House. "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country." Zelenskyy Speaks Out After Public Spat With Trump, Vance, Says Dustup 'Bad For Both Sides' Trump then joined the fray after Zelenskyy claimed that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future," an argument the American leader did not appreciate. "You don't know that," Trump responded. "Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel." The exchange caused some to express concerns about not only the U.S.'s commitment to Ukraine's continued war effort but also Trump's apparent strained relationship with European allies overall. But Norway, a NATO ally, made clear that the country has no plans to join the threats to cut off the U.S. military. "American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway," Sandvik article source: Norway to keep supplying US Navy with fuel despite company boycott call
Fox News
02-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Norway to keep supplying US Navy with fuel despite company boycott call
Norway made clear that it will continue supplying fuel for U.S. Navy ships after a private marine fuel supplier threatened to boycott the U.S. in response to deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relations. "We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government's policy," Norway's Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement Sunday, according to a report from Reuters. The statement comes after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers took to social media Friday and threatened a boycott of the U.S. Navy in response to President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's heated Oval Office exchange. "Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick... No Fuel to Americans!," the company said in a Facebook post that has since been deleted. The company's CEO, Gunnar Gran, confirmed to the Norwegian newspaper VG that he had decided not to supply the U.S. military, according to the Reuters report, though the company also acknowledged that the move would only have a "symbolic" impact, since Haltbakk Bunkers does not have a fixed contract with the U.S. government. The company's threat comes after a heated exchange in the Oval Office among Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance on Friday, when Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful" to Trump in the White House. "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media," Vance told Zelenskyy. "Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country." Trump then joined the fray after Zelenskyy claimed that the U.S. would feel the war "in the future," an argument the American leader did not appreciate. "You don't know that," Trump responded. "Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel." The exchange caused some to express concerns about not only the U.S.'s commitment to Ukraine's continued war effort but also Trump's apparent strained relationship with European allies overall. But Norway, a NATO ally, made clear that the country has no plans to join the threats to cut off the U.S. military. "American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway," Sandvik said.
The Independent
02-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Norway's government breaks silence after major supplier says it will no longer refuel US Navy ships
The Norwegian government has moved to ease concerns regarding the refuelling of US Navy vessels after one company spoke out on social media, saying in the wake of Donald Trump's showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, it would no longer supply American ships. "We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government's policy," Norway's Defence Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement. "American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway," he added. Sandvik issued his statement after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers said that it would stop supplying U.S. Navy ships in response to how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was treated at the White House on Friday. "Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick... No Fuel to Americans!," the company said in a now deleted Facebook post. Haltbakk Bunkers CEO Gunnar Gran confirmed to Norwegian newspaper VG that the company made a decision not to supply the US military, but said the move would have a "symbolic" impact as it didn't have a fixed contract. Following the Oval Office discussions heard around the world, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he has not spoken with Zelensky since. The former Florida senator said on Sunday's This Week on ABC. Rubio also said he has not spoken to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha since Trump and Zelenskiy clashed at the White House and failed to sign an expected minerals deal."We'll be ready to reengage when they're ready to make peace," Rubio said on the show. Rubio has been roundly criticized following the meeting, given that the Republican has previously been outspoken in his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, at one point calling him a 'butcher' after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
