Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on an official visit to Norway today, the Norwegian government announced, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
Like other Nordic and Baltic countries, Norway is among the staunchest supporters of Ukraine. On March 6, the Oslo government announced that it would increase its financial assistance to Kiev more than twice – to 85 billion Norwegian kroner (nearly 8 billion euros), Reuters notes.
“Norway stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine“, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. "I look forward to fruitful discussions on how our country can support Ukraine in both the short and long term," he added.
Zelensky's delegation will meet with the Norwegian Finance Minister and other senior officials, the prime minister's office said.
Norway is the only European country that can increase its support for Ukraine with its own funds without resorting to debt. This is possible thanks to the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, worth $1.8 trillion.
Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Norwegian fund has seen a significant increase in revenue from gas sales to Europe.
Norway, which has a population of 5.6 million, is a member of NATO but not the European Union. The country shares a border with Russia in the Arctic.