The government will spend additional billions on Ukraine this year, according to Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap), who met the party leaders in the Storting on Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday 30 April at 15:21
Six billion goes to provide air defense mainly, while NOK one billion goes to civil support, Støre stated at a press conference in the Storting after the meeting.
Thus, the government will spend a total of NOK 22 billion in direct support to Ukraine in 2024.
In recent days, Russia has taken control of several villages in Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s military leadership, their forces are experiencing Russian pressure along the entire front.
– The situation in Ukraine is more serious and more uncertain, said Støre.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has called for more and faster deliveries of military material from the NATO countries.
A week ago, Støre announced that it may be appropriate to increase support to Ukraine beyond the framework of the Nansen programme, which all parties in the Storting support, and which has been agreed to NOK 75 billion over five years.
– The government will increase support for Ukraine. This may involve an increase in the total framework for the Nansen programme. We will invite a conversation with the parties in the Storting about this, the Prime Minister told VG on 20 April.
Not delivered on promises
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg went to great lengths on Monday to regret that neither the US nor the European NATO countries have been able to deliver on promises to Ukraine.
Stoltenberg was in Kyiv on Monday and met Zelenskyj.
– There have been serious delays, said Stoltenberg.
– For several months, the United States was unable to agree on the promised military support. And European member states have not been able to deliver what we have promised, he added.
