Norway allocates 500 million kroner for Ukrainian weapons

Norway has allocated 500 million kroner ($45 million) to fund the production of weapons and military equipment by Ukrainian companies for the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram announced this on Thursday during a meeting of Nordic Defense Ministers in Copenhagen.

The meeting is dedicated to the Russian-Ukrainian war and Ukraine’s need for support.

The Norwegian Minister stated that this funding will be directed to Ukraine’s defense industry to accelerate the production of weapons and military equipment.

“Norway is contributing from its own stockpiles and purchases from domestic industry, but this is not enough. We need to expand Ukraine’s capacity to produce more, and this support will help achieve that,” Arild Gram emphasized.

He emphasized that the specific needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces will dictate production priorities.

The Minister noted that domestic production allows Ukrainians to preserve and maintain their resources more efficiently.

The Norwegian Ministry of Defense added that Denmark, in cooperation with Ukraine, has introduced a model of financing acquisitions directly from the Ukrainian defense industry. In addition, there are procedures for monitoring and ensuring project accountability.

Gram explained that a contribution of NOK 500 million would be part of this agreement.

The allocation of this aid was reported last week by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov.

At the end of October, a Norwegian Minister announced during a visit to Odesa that Norway would make a new contribution of funds to purchase weapons and spare parts for Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets.

Earlier, the Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Norwegian Defense Materials Agency (NDMA) signed a cooperation agreement. The document, in particular, opens up new opportunities for exchanging information on the arms market, joint research, and development of innovative military technologies.