Russian forces stationed in the Arctic near Norway, which borders the Russian Federation, are “20% or less” of the number they had before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to the head of Norway’s defense ministry, according to Reuters.

Norway is a member of NATO and shares a border with Russia in the Arctic. The northern country borders the Kola Peninsula, where most of Russia’s nuclear weapons are located, as well as its Northern Fleet, which operates Russian nuclear-powered submarines, news.ro notes.

Speaking after a meeting of NATO defense chiefs in Oslo on Saturday, General Eirik Kristoffersen said Russian President Vladimir Putin “knows very well” that NATO is not a threat to Russia.

“On our border, on the Russian border, maybe 20% or less (Russian) forces remain than there were before February 24, 2022. If he thought that we were a threat to Russia, he could not have sent his troops into Ukraine before fighting there,” he said at a press conference.

This pattern of Russian behavior also applies to how it has treated Finland since it joined NATO in April, added Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s military committee.

Finland and Russia share a 1,300 km (810 mi) border, and Russian and Norwegian troops are smaller than before the war.

“Russia knows that NATO is not a threat because we have no intention of attacking them. Otherwise, they would have reacted completely differently to Finland’s entry. They talked about it, but they didn’t talk in physical terms,” ​​Bauer said at the conference.