Norway opens five-year military aid program for Ukraine worth €7 bln
Norway will launch a five-year military aid program worth a total of €7 billion for Ukraine.
This was discussed at a meeting between Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Oslo, Ukrinform reports with reference to Norway's foreign ministry.
Støre noted that both Norway and its allies had supported Ukraine in its fight for independence and freedom from the very outset.
We will support Ukraine for as long as is necessary. Under the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, Norway will provide military, humanitarian and civilian support totalling NOK 75 billion (€7 billion) over a period of five years, said Støre.
Promoting long-term cooperation between NATO and Ukraine is an important goal, he emphasized.
Membership of NATO has been a cornerstone of Norwegian security policy since the alliance was established in 1949, and is of crucial importance now that there is war again in Europe, the minister added.
Norway has already committed to increase defense spending to at least 2% of GDP by 2026, known from an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo from May 31 through June 1.
