Norway Pledges to Double Aid to Ukraine
UK to Provide Combat Drones Through U.S. Defense Firm
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have stepped up additional support by increasing aid and sending weapons to Ukraine.
On the 6th (local time), Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway, announced that all parties in the parliament unanimously agreed on an additional aid package of 50 billion kroner (approximately 6.6 trillion won) for Ukraine this year.
Previously, Norway had decided to provide 35 billion kroner in aid to Ukraine. With this agreement, the total support will amount to 85 billion kroner, more than doubling the previous aid scale.
Norway, a NATO member but not a member of the European Union (EU), is one of the most active countries in supporting Ukraine within Europe. Prime Minister Støre stated, "Norway is facing the most serious security situation since World War II," and added, "This aid is Norway's firm contribution to the peace of Ukraine and Europe."
Jens Stoltenberg, former NATO Secretary General for ten years and currently Norway’s Minister of Finance, emphasized on social media platform Instagram, "Now that the United States says it will not contribute as much as before, Europe must do more."
Alongside Norway, the United Kingdom also announced an agreement with the U.S. defense company Anduril for a deal worth 30 million pounds (approximately 56 billion won) to supply advanced attack drones to Ukraine.
John Healey, UK Secretary of State for Defence, who is visiting Washington, met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and visited Anduril’s facility in Washington to finalize the agreement.
Accordingly, Ukraine will receive drones designed to monitor specific areas and strike targets, namely the "Altus 600m" and "Altus 700m." The UK Ministry of Defence explained that these drones could be used by Ukraine to repel Russian aggression in the Black Sea region.
The UK receives funding from the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), which was established together with Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and others to facilitate rapid procurement of military equipment for Ukraine.
Minister Healey emphasized, "The UK has already supplied more than 10,000 drones to the Ukrainian military, supporting Ukraine’s efforts to achieve a safe and sustainable peace."
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