Norway announces $400 million emergency package for Ukraine's energy sector, budget
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 12 for talks with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, unveiling a 340 million euros ($400 million) emergency funding package aimed at supporting Ukraine's battered energy sector and state budget.
The announcement comes as Russia continues systematic attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians without stable access to heating, water, and electricity during winter conditions.
"The infrastructure that supplies electricity to ordinary Ukrainians is coming under Russian attack several times a week," Eide said in Kyiv.
"Ensuring that people can keep warm, cook food, and live reasonably normal lives is vital in enabling them to persevere in this war — a war that they are fighting on behalf of us all."
Part of the funds will be directed toward urgent needs, including repairs to energy facilities, as well as the payment of teachers' and civil servants' salaries, the Norwegian minister said.
The remaining funds will be allocated to support Ukraine's state budget, according to a Norwegian government press release.
The funding comes as temperatures across Ukraine dropped well below -10°C (14°F) over the past week, compounding the impact of Russian strikes on power generation and transmission facilities.
Sybiha called Norway "close allies with centuries of shared history" and praised the European nation's continuous aid, which will amount to $8 billion in 2026 and thus maintain the volume of support from previous years. He revealed that the pair is set to discuss mutually beneficial cooperation, peace efforts, and defense.
Norway has already provided significant energy-related aid to Ukraine, including around $150 million for gas purchases ahead of winter, according to Zelensky's Office, following his October meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
