Norway plans five-year $7.3b aid package to Ukraine

Norway’s government said Monday it was planning a five-year aid package to Ukraine worth 75 billion kroner ($7.3 billion), as well as additional aid to other countries affected by the conflict.

“We are proposing that Norway gives a binding and lasting contribution to Ukraine”, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters.

“We are proposing that 15 billion kroner be given per year to Ukraine for five years, or 75 billion kroner”, he added, after presenting the details of the plan to opposition leaders.

The package is expected to cover humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine and will be divided equally between the two for this year.

The final amount of the package may however be changed by parliament, where the centre-left government does not have a majority and relies on the backing of other parties to pass legislation.

Store also proposed a five-billion-kroner increase in aid “to countries in the (Global) South most affected by the war in Ukraine”, due primarily to the rising cost of food and commodities.

The Norwegian government was harshly criticised last year for reducing its 2023 development aid budget even though the country saw gas revenue soar due to the war in Ukraine.

In 2022, Norway surpassed Russia as Europe’s biggest gas supplier, as prices skyrocketed to record levels.