Norway will increase its military and civil aid to Ukraine by 7 billion crowns (around 590 million euros) this year to bring it to 22 billion crowns, announced the Norwegian Prime Minister.
This additional sum will be drawn from the multi-year envelope of 75 billion crowns that the Scandinavian country has planned to devote to civil and military aid to Ukraine over the period 2023-2027 and which remains unchanged.
“It’s a question of life and death for the people in Ukraine”said the head of the Norwegian government, Jonas Gahr Støre, at a press conference, describing a precarious situation on the ground. “It is also a question of security and stability in Europe, and therefore also for Norway”he said after meeting with opposition leaders to ensure broad consensus.
Of the additional 7 billion, 6 will go to military aid, first and foremost anti-aircraft defense and munitions which are now sorely lacking in kyiv in the face of the Russian offensive.
Norway will help finance German and Czech initiatives in these two areas, Støre said, stressing that Russia was deliberately bombing “hospitals, residential areas and power plants”.
Of the initial envelope of 75 billion crowns of its multiannual program, the Scandinavian country will have used some 39.5 billion by the end of 2024. An increase in the total envelope has also been mentioned recently by Mr. Støre and d other political leaders.
Norway, a large hydrocarbon producer which has largely benefited from the surge in prices fueled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is proportionally one of kyiv’s biggest supporters, according to the ranking of the Kiel Institute .
