The government will increase support for Ukraine in the revised national budget

– The increase will be divided between NOK 6 billion for military support and NOK 1 billion for the civilian part of the programme, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap).

This will help to strengthen Ukraine’s defense line and the ability to protect cities, hospitals and central infrastructure, Støre explains.

Support for the purchase of air defenses

The main part goes to air defence, and Norway will cooperate with Germany, the USA and other countries to find anti-aircraft ammunition and measures for better protection of Ukraine.

Støre emphasizes that the air defense has already been produced, and that it can become available to the Ukrainians in a short time.

– Now it’s about delivering fairly immediately on this with air defense. We get daily news that Ukrainians are waking up to apartment blocks, hospitals and power plants being hit by Russian missiles. They must be able to defend themselves against this, says Støre.

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The support will also go towards following up the Czech initiative to purchase artillery shells to be used along the front line.

In total, the support in the Nansen program to Ukraine will be NOK 22 billion in 2024, according to the proposal.

Støre says that this new support is within the framework of the programme, and it is made possible by speeding up some of the grants from later years.

– This means that approximately NOK 35.5 billion of the original NOK 75 billion remain in the programme, he says.

Will open for more later

It was a combined Storting which last year agreed to set aside NOK 75 billion over five years. Støre keeps it open whether the total frame can be increased later. The Nansen program covers the period 2023–2027.

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– Then we will discuss with the Storting how we will handle the coming years as we approach. We will do that in close dialogue, he says.

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Støre had called a meeting with the parliamentary leaders at the Storting to announce the proposal. He has many times previously highlighted the broad consensus as a major strength of the Nansen programme.

Støre announced that he will present a security policy report to the Storting in mid-June. He will also raise the issue with the parliamentary leaders towards the end of the summer.

The left wants more

Liberal leader Guri Melby has advocated that Norway should give considerably more, and has pointed out that Denmark has a total frame of NOK 130 billion in its programme.

– Today I am cautiously optimistic. What the government comes up with is a start, but we need to get a lot more in place, says Melby.

She says an increased framework will be needed for the Nansen programme, and that the Liberal Party will continue to push for this.

– Norway is in a very special financial situation compared to the rest of Europe. Then we have to contribute what we can, she says.

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KrF leader Olaug Bollestad says that she expects that there will be increased allocations beyond what the government is speeding up from the framework of the current Nansen package.

– KrF will strengthen its support for Ukraine and will be constructive in further negotiations in the Storting. Many millions of Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian aid, and thousands of Ukrainian schools have been bombed. The need is enormous for Ukraine, for Europe and for us in Norway, says Bollestad.