Ukraine, Norway sign joint declaration on defense partnership

Ukraine and Norway signed a joint declaration on a defense partnership in Oslo on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss cooperation in drone production.

“We are improving defense against Shahed drones, and we believe this should also be done in Europe,” he said, adding that Ukraine already shares its experience with Middle East countries.

Zelenskyy underlined that Ukraine started a “drone deal” with Norway, with teams from both sides working out the details.

“We also focused on our joint production projects. They are already up and running, and we can make them stronger, and we discuss our priorities for this year and for the cooperation, not only in defense,” he added.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is grateful to Norway for its steady support in the energy sector.

“It was very, very helpful during this difficult winter, what we had during this war,” he said. And in times of major geopolitical crisis due to the war with Iran, Norway plays a key stabilizing role for Europe as a strong energy supply; their joint war on energy must continue, he added.

Zelenskyy arrived Tuesday in Berlin for talks with the German chancellor, one day after he said Kyiv is preparing the basis for deeper security agreements in Europe and that it expects to “achieve results this very week.”

During his visit, Kyiv and Berlin agreed on a large-scale defense cooperation package worth €4 billion (about $4.7 billion), Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram.

Fedorov said he held talks with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, signing three “important agreements” aimed at strengthening Ukraine's air defense, developing long-range capabilities, and jointly producing drones.