Norway will bring its armed forces to a higher level of combat readiness to enhance security in response to the war in Ukraine, said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Reuters reported.

Norway is now the largest exporter of natural gas to the European Union, accounting for about a quarter of all EU imports after supply cuts from Russia.

This is the most serious security situation in decades, Jonas Gahr Støre told a news conference.

There is no indication that Russia is extending its war to other countries, but the increased tensions make us more vulnerable to threats, intelligence operations, and campaigns of influence, the prime minister said.

The Nordic country first deployed its armed forces to protect offshore platforms and onshore facilities after the Sept. 26 leak from the Nord Stream pipeline and was supported by naval forces from Britain, France, and Germany.