“Cooperation With the Sámi on the Russian Side Is Severely Affected by Russia’s War” The Barents cooperation with the Sámi and other indigenous peoples in Russia has lain fallow since March 2022 – and has now formally ended with Moscow's withdrawal from the Barents Council. “The lack of interaction with the Sámi on the Russian side worries us, says Eirik Larsen, a representative in the Sámi Parliament in Norway.