Zelenskiy to Meet Nordic Leaders Vowing Support for Ukraine

Ott Ummelas and Kati Pohjanpalo
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(Bloomberg) -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Oslo to meet some of this strongest supporters, having left Washington without a clear commitment on $61 billion in aid.

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The meeting with Nordic leaders is intended to prepare for a European Union summit starting Thursday where more funds are at stake, Ukraine’s president told reporters on Wednesday at a joint news conference with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

“We are preparing for our joint work with our partners today in the summit,” Zelenskiy said. He underscored the importance of European unity in supporting Ukraine, saying “you can’t win without help. But you can’t lose, because that is the only [thing] you have, this is your country.”

In addition to Gahr Store, Zelenskiy is set to sit down with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir.

The five penned a letter to the editor published earlier on Wednesday in the Financial Times, urging other nations to commit to a united front in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s war and warning that a failure to help Kyiv risks worsening the security in Europe for decades.

“We must continue to stand united against Russia’s illegal and immoral war just as we have done since the invasion,” the leaders wrote. “Otherwise we risk a world with less freedom and less security for decades, if not generations, to come.”

Their letter comes on the cusp of a EU summit, where a €50 billion ($54 billion) funding proposal for Ukraine is being held up by Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is bargaining over the aid package to unlock money withheld from Budapest over democratic backsliding.

Read More: Hungary Open to Lifting Ukraine Aid Veto If EU Unfreezes Funds

New aid commitments to Ukraine hit a low this autumn, with an almost 90% drop compared to a year ago, according to data compiled by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The Nordic countries are among Ukraine’s biggest supporters relative to the size of their economies, the data show.

Ukraine now increasingly relies on a core group of donors such as the US, Germany, and the Nordic and Eastern European countries, the institute said.

“Ukraine cannot defend itself against Russia with only words,” the Nordic leaders wrote. “The war is not won without weapons. Their fight for freedom depends on our perseverance in staying the course.”

Norway on Wednesday pledged $1 billion aid this year within an existing framework, with the prime minister saying his government plans to donate additional air defense capabilities to protect critical infrastructure.

“Strengthening the air shield remains a critical priority for us,” Zelenskiy said.

It’s the second time Nordic leaders are meeting with Zelenskiy this year, having gathered in Helsinki in May.

Finland on Tuesday announced investments that will double the production of heavy ammunition, both as the newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization improves its own defenses but also to ensure long-term supply of artillery shells to Ukraine.

Read More: Finland to Double Artillery Shell Production to Boost Defenses

--With assistance from Patrick Donahue and Stephen Treloar.

(Updates with Zelenskiy’s visit to Oslo, comments throughout)

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