NASAMS air defense and more: Norway will provide Ukraine with a new batch of aid

Norway has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, including additional NASAMS air defense systems worth NOK 335 million (over €28 million). Oslo will also provide financial assistance to our country.

The announcement was made on December 13, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Norway. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced the plans at a joint press conference with Zelenskyy.

In 2024, Oslo plans to provide direct economic support to critical services in Ukraine. It also intends to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure by providing additional air defense equipment.

Some equipment will be transferred from its own warehouses to ensure fast delivery, while others will be ordered from manufacturers and will be delivered to Ukraine later.

Norway also wants to increase co-financing of the defense industry together with European partners to produce more ammunition for the Armed Forces.

In February 2023, the Norwegian parliament approved the Nansen support program for Ukraine with a total budget of 75 billion kroner (over 6 billion euros) for five years.

On December 13, Jonas Gahr Støre announced four key disbursements under the program.

135 million kronor (11 million euros) is budget support to cover expenditures on education, healthcare, and pensions. "Mr. President Zelensky and his government must pay nurses, teachers, doctors and other workers," the prime minister said at a briefing.

In addition, at the beginning of 2024, 3 billion kroons (more than 250 million euros) will be provided for the functioning of the education and health sectors through the URTF fund under the auspices of the World Bank.

335 million kroons (28 million euros) will be used to further strengthen air defense.

1 billion is earmarked for co-financing to strengthen the defense industry's capacity to produce more shells and missiles for Ukraine.

Another 137 million kronor is earmarked for the UN's "winter" humanitarian program for Ukraine, which is designed to provide shelter, basic necessities and food to people who have been left homeless by the war.

This funding will be in addition to the assistance previously announced for 2023.