Norway plans to maintain its level of support for Ukraine in 2026 at the same scale as in 2025, when Oslo provided more than $7 billion in assistance. This was discussed during a meeting between Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense Serhiy Boyev and Norwegian officials, including State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Frede Hermansen and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Torgeir Larsen.
During the talks, the Ukrainian delegation expressed gratitude for Norway's record level of assistance in 2025 and for its intention to sustain that level of support this year. The continued commitment underscores Norway's role as one of Ukraine's most consistent and significant partners in defense and security assistance.
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Serhiy Boyev emphasized that air defense remains one of Ukraine's most urgent priorities in 2026, particularly the development of domestic solutions capable of protecting Ukrainian airspace. Strengthening air defense is seen as critical amid ongoing russian missile and drone attacks against both military and civilian infrastructure.
Another key focus of the discussions was the growing role of unmanned systems. The Ukrainian side highlighted the importance of developing a unified European drone strategy and building shared capabilities, drawing on Ukraine's extensive combat experience and the rapidly evolving capacity of its defense-industrial sector.
Serhiy Boyev also noted that Norway has been actively supporting Ukraine's defense industry and helping to expand domestic production capabilities. Ukraine is now exploring opportunities for joint manufacturing projects and is seeking practical mechanisms to implement such cooperation with Norwegian partners.
Representatives of Norway's Ministry of Defense confirmed their strong interest in Ukraine's operational experience with unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as in Ukraine's approach to scaling efficient wartime production. Norwegian officials view Ukraine's battlefield-tested solutions as highly relevant for strengthening Europe's own defense capabilities.
As Defense Express previously reported, russia has begun using drones equipped with Starlink satellite communications to conduct strikes against Ukrainian cities, prompting an urgent response from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed on January 29 that the ministry had contacted SpaceX within hours of detecting the new threat and proposed technical and organizational solutions to address the misuse of the system.
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