Is Norway Increasing Its Support for Ukraine through NATO Initiatives?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Norway commits 2 billion kroner to support Ukraine.
- Funding will be coordinated through NATO's PURL initiative.
- Prime Minister Store emphasizes European collaboration.
- Zelensky discusses energy resilience with EU leaders.
- Moscow warns of repercussions for EU actions against Russian assets.
Oslo, Oct 16 (NationPress) The Norwegian government announced its intention to allocate 2 billion Norwegian kroner (equivalent to 198 million US dollars) towards a NATO-coordinated aid initiative for Ukraine, as stated in a recent press release.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store emphasized that Norway is collaborating with a coalition of European nations to finance a package aimed at ensuring defensive equipment for Ukraine, according to reports from the Xinhua news agency.
A collective of European countries is currently coordinating their contributions under the newly established US-led initiative known as the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). This program enables NATO allies to provide military assistance for Ukraine sourced directly from US weapon stockpiles.
Previously, Norway contributed 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner to an earlier iteration of the PURL package.
The PURL initiative was officially inaugurated on July 14 by US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. (1 Norwegian krone = 0.099 US dollar)
On October 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in discussions with Kaja Kallas, the visiting European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, focusing on EU support for Ukraine, as reported by the presidential press service.
The dialogue addressed the recent attacks by Russia on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and the necessary measures to enhance the nation’s energy resilience.
Kallas highlighted that European specialists are currently evaluating the assistance needed for Ukraine to restore its energy system.
The conversation also included topics on defense support for Ukraine, the utilization of frozen Russian assets, and the imposition of new EU sanctions against Russia.
During a press conference following his discussions with Kallas, Zelensky revealed intentions to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Moscow has warned of a "very firm response" should the EU undertake actions targeting Russian assets, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on October 2.