Norway's Prime Minister said Tuesday his country would accelerate its military and civilian aid for Ukraine for this year by seven billion kroner to a total of 22 billion kroner ($1.98 billion).
The additional funds will be brought forward from a 75 billion kroner ($6.78 billion) package the Scandinavian country has pledged to Ukraine covering 2023 to 2027 for military and civilian aid, which remains unchanged.
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“It's a matter of life and death for the people of Ukraine,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told a press conference.
“It is also a question of security and stability in Europe, and therefore also for Norway,” he said following a meeting with opposition leaders to secure a broad consensus on the aid.
Of the seven billion brought forward, six will go to military aid, primarily air defense and ammunition – which are desperately needed by Ukraine as it faces a Russian offensive in the east.
Norway will contribute to the financing of German and Czech initiatives in these two areas, Store said, while stressing that Russia was deliberately bombing “hospitals, residential areas and power stations.”
Of the 75 billion package dedicated to Ukraine, Norway will have used some 39.5 billion kroner ($3.57 billion) by the end of 2024.
Norway – a major oil and gas producer that has benefited greatly from surging prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine – is one of the main contributors to Ukraine, according to a ranking by the Kiel Institute.
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