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Norway pledges $8.5 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026

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Norway pledges $8.5 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi shake hands during official meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine on Aug.25, 2025. (Andriy Zhyhaylo/Oboz.ua/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Norway is planning to allocate $8.45 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced during a visit to Kyiv on Aug. 25.

The move underscores Norway’s growing role in supporting Ukraine’s defense as Western partners move closer to finalizing security guarantees amid a push to organize a high-level meeting between Kyiv and Moscow.

Speaking about security guarantees, Store said that the most important guarantee would be to provide Ukraine with strong defense capabilities.

"The key thing is for the United States to remain engaged in these discussions," he said, adding that Oslo is also involved.

According to the Norwegian prime minister, Norway will take part in training Ukrainian troops and contribute to protecting Ukraine’s airspace by providing air defense systems.

The news come amid a push from Ukraine's allies to hammer out postwar security guarantees for Kyiv following a high-level meeting in Washington with President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and European partners.

Bloomberg reported on Aug. 19 that the package of security guarantees for Ukraine might be finalized in the coming days. European officials have reportedly discussed sending British and French troops to Ukraine, along with contingents from roughly 10 other countries.

Trump told Fox News on Aug. 19 that Washington could provide air support as part of the guarantees but ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops to Ukraine.

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Kateryna Denisova

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Kateryna Denisova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, covering Ukrainian domestic politics and social issues. She joined the newsroom in 2024 as a news editor following four years at the NV media outlet. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She was also a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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