Norway

Norway to allocate $7 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026

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Norway to allocate $7 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) shakes hands with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store (L) during a press conference following their talks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 24, 2023. (Sergei Chuzavkov/AFP via Getty Images)

Norway will provide Ukraine with $7 billion in 2026 to support its defense sector, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on X on Nov. 5.

Shmyhal is currently on a visit to Norway, where he met with Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik and thanked him for the country’s “weighty contribution” and continued support for Ukraine.

Ukraine will for the first time participate in the meeting of defense ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), to which Sandvik invited Shmyhal during their talks.

Following the meeting, the two sides signed a memorandum establishing unified quality standards for defense products produced or supplied under joint agreements.

A separate memorandum was also signed between Ukrainian and Norwegian companies to launch joint defense production inside Ukraine.

Shmyhal said they also discussed strengthening air defense, long-range strike capabilities, and cooperation in countering attack drones, adding that Ukraine is prepared to share its battlefield experience.

"I am grateful to the government and the people of Norway for their significant contribution," Shmyhal said.

The announcement marks deepening ties between Kyiv and Oslo as Ukraine seeks to expand its domestic defense industry  amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion and reduced military aid from the United States.

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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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