Norway will continue to develop its Arctic oil and gas resources, Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland said on Monday, despite previous European Union support for a ban on new fossil fuel projects in the region on environmental grounds. Aasland noted that continued activity in the Barents Sea is in Norway's and Europe's interest, given the current geopolitical and security environment and resource situation. The EU is currently re-evaluating its ban on new Arctic drilling due to energy security concerns. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Norway has become Europe's largest supplier of natural gas, meeting approximately 30% of the gas demand for the EU and the UK.