Norway joins EU nations in banning Russian-registered cars from entering its territory

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway announced Friday that it will start barring Russian-registered passenger cars from entering the Scandinavian country starting next week, mirroring sanctions imposed by the European Union against Moscow over its war on Ukraine.

Norway, which is a member of NATO but not of the EU, has a 198-kilometer-long (123-mile-long) border in the Arctic with Russia. The Scandinavian country ”stands together with allies and like-minded people in the reactions against the brutal war of aggression by Russia,” Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in a statement.

The ban means that Russian-registered passenger cars with nine or fewer seats can no longer be brought into Norway. Buses and minivans with ten or more seats will still be able to cross the border at Storskog, the sole crossing point between Norway and Russia.

The government in Oslo said there will be exceptions for diplomatic vehicles, for cars owned by Norwegian citizens and their family members with permanent residence in Russia, and for travel necessary for humanitarian reasons, such as acute illness, death or family funerals.

Under the EU’s decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc, including the three Batlic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — Finland and Poland. The sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation were published by the European Commission on Sept. 8.

Norway said its ban would start on Monday at midnight.