Norway to Aid Ukraine’s Air Defense System, Says Støre in Berlin

At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that Norway is ready to strengthen Ukraine's air defense system, The Gaze reports, citing Ukrinform and Suspilne.

“Norway is ready to provide significant additional funding for Ukraine's air defense...ready to share the bill,” the Prime Minister said.

Moreover, the country is considering the possibility of supplying Patriot systems. “We are also discussing how we can supply systems like Patriot systems to Ukraine, which is extremely important,” noted Støre.

The Norwegian Prime Minister emphasized that Norway has already transferred some of its NASAMS systems to Ukraine, although it does not have its own Patriot. The country currently supports Germany's initiative to purchase Patriots from the United States for Ukraine and is ready to contribute to their financing.

“But we also need more partners to do that. So we need the United States, and we're counting on the president, who has made that clear, to come up with a quick deal to fulfill his role," he said.

Støre noted that in order for Germany to transfer additional Patriot systems to Ukraine, a clear signal from the United States is needed to replace them. He hopes that this will happen soon, as rapidly strengthening air defense is critical to protecting Ukraine from devastating Russian attacks.

As The Gaze previously informed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to discuss enhancing Ukraine’s air defense systems and intensifying sanctions pressure on Russia.