In Contrast to the US, Norway Doubles Its Ukraine Aid to $8 Billion

Norway will more than double its financial support for Ukraine in 2025, increasing  aid to $7.8 billion, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced.

Støre stated Norway was facing its most serious security situation in 80 years. 

The government and opposition leaders agreed on Thursday to raise this year’s funding for Ukraine to NOK 85 billion ($7.83 billion), up from the NOK 35 billion plan approved in November 2024.

In his address to parliament, he would present revised defense spending plans at a later date.

In recent days, Norwegian politicians have been debating how much additional support Oslo should provide to Ukraine, particularly in light of declining U.S. assistance and the larger contributions made by neighboring countries such as Sweden and Denmark.

The opposition Conservative Party backed the funding increase and said further adjustments could be considered later this year.

Norway is also exploring the possibility of using its €1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund—the world’s largest—to significantly boost support for Ukraine. 

The fund, which gained €109 billion from rising gas prices in 2022–2023, reported a record profit of $222 billion in 2024.

As part of its increased aid, Norway will allocate NOK 3.5 billion (€300 million) for purchasing military equipment from Ukraine’s defense industry. 

An additional NOK 600 million (€51.5 million) will be dedicated to acquiring drones and supporting the development of unmanned technologies for Ukraine’s armed forces.