Most Ukrainians express a positive attitude toward Norway. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club think tank.
According to the survey, 77.7% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude towards Norway (38.7% — completely positive, 39.0% — mostly positive). Only 1.3% of respondents expressed a negative attitude (1.0% — completely negative, 0.3% — mostly negative). A neutral position towards Norway was expressed by 20.0% of respondents, while another 1.0% admitted that they were not familiar with this country.
“The high level of sympathy for Norway is explained not only by Ukraine’s traditional support in the context of the war, but also by the country’s stable image with high social standards, a developed economy, and one of the highest standards of living in the world,” emphasized Active Group CEO Oleksandr Pozniy.
Experts Club co-founder Maksim Urakin emphasized the importance of economic cooperation between the two countries.
“Despite a significant trade imbalance, Ukraine actively cooperates with Norway. In the first six months of 2025, trade turnover amounted to $231.9 million. At the same time, Ukrainian exports amounted to only $16.5 million, while imports amounted to $215.4 million. The negative balance exceeded $198.9 million, but the presence of Norwegian energy and technology goods is of great importance to the Ukrainian economy.”
Thus, Ukrainian society highly values Norway’s role as a reliable partner, and trade dynamics confirm mutual interest in developing relations.
The full video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t
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ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, NORWAY, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, UKRAINE, УРАКИН
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted the credentials of the newly appointed ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Norway, and Germany.
“I accepted the credentials and spoke with the newly appointed ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Norway, and Germany,” he wrote on Telegram.
The president also congratulated them on the start of their diplomatic missions and thanked them for their countries’ support of Ukraine.
They also discussed strengthening cooperation, particularly in the security and defense sector.
“Together, we are adding to the security and stability of the whole of Europe and moving towards a reliable and guaranteed peace in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy concluded.
Norway is allocating approximately NOK 7 billion (US$696.12 million) to finance air defense systems for Ukraine, according to a press release from the Norwegian government on Sunday.
“Together with Germany, we will ensure that Ukraine receives powerful air defense systems. Germany and Norway are working closely together to support Ukraine in defending the country and its civilian population against Russian air attacks,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
It is noted that Norway and Germany are financing two Patriot systems, including missiles. In addition, Norway is contributing to the purchase of air defense radars from German manufacturer Hensoldt and air defense systems from Kongsberg.
“Air defense is crucial for protecting military units and infrastructure. Together with Germany, we are now stepping up our efforts even further,” added Defense Minister Tore Rømmers.
Earlier this summer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Støre agreed to transfer two Patriot systems to Ukraine, which are currently in Germany and will be delivered to Ukraine as soon as possible.
The US has confirmed that it will replace the transferred systems, and Norway has pledged to make a financial contribution to their replacement.
The Norwegian government has allocated 1 billion Norwegian kroner ($98.3 million) to Ukraine for the purchase of natural gas, according to Serhiy Koretsky, CEO of Naftogaz Ukraine.
“This is a clear response from our partners to Russian terror aimed at depriving Ukrainians of heat in winter,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday.
According to Koretsky, Naftogaz will use these funds to purchase gas to meet the needs of the heating season.
“The assistance received will be an important contribution to a stable winter in 2025-2026 and to strengthening the country’s energy security,” he stressed.
As reported with reference to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, on August 13, Naftogaz of Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed an agreement for a renewable loan of EUR500 million.
“This is the bank’s largest project in our country.
But most importantly, this is the first time such a loan has been provided under an EU guarantee, without a state guarantee from Ukraine,” she commented.
In addition, in April, it was reported that Naftogaz of Ukraine had been granted a EUR270 million loan from the EBRD under a state guarantee to create strategic gas reserves, which Norway supplemented with a EUR139 million grant.
According to the EBRD, the total amount of its financing to Naftogaz of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war in 2022 has reached EUR1.6 billion.
Norway will allocate 6.5 billion Norwegian kroner ($644 million) to purchase drones and drone equipment from Ukrainian and other European manufacturers for Ukraine’s needs, the government’s website reported on Wednesday.
“Drones play an important role in Ukraine’s struggle for its defense. They are important both for the protection of critical infrastructure and for use on the front line. Norway’s assistance will significantly improve Ukraine’s ability to carry out the necessary surveillance and operations with the help of drones,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was quoted as saying on the website.
According to the information, Norway officially joined the Coalition for the Development of Unmanned Technologies in April and previously announced its intention to increase support for the Ukrainian defense industry and purchase drones for Ukraine.
This is reportedly the first large-scale purchase of drones directly from foreign manufacturers. This is in line with one of the goals underlying the decision made in March of this year by the Storting (Norwegian National Assembly – IF-U) to increase support for Ukraine by 50 billion Norwegian kroner (about $5 billion) by 2025.
The Norwegian government prioritizes meeting military needs based on what Ukraine itself identifies as the most important.
“Funding for the procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles will help to create an independent Ukrainian deterrence system, which will also be important after a potential peace agreement… We will continue to focus our support on maritime security, air defense, unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous systems. We will also prioritize support for the procurement of defense equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers and cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries to equip and train new Ukrainian military units,” said Defense Minister Thorbjørn Sandvik.
It is noted that the support provided and “lessons learned from the war in Ukraine will also help strengthen the Armed Forces and defense capabilities of Norway.”
Source: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/norway-to-provide-nok-6.5-billion-for-procurement-of-drones-for-ukraine/id3111763/
The Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (Ministry of Development) and the Ministry of Transport of Norway have agreed to extend the liberalization of freight transport until the end of 2025 with the possibility of automatic renewal.
“Transport visa-free travel” is about strengthening economic ties, saving resources, and improving business efficiency. I am grateful to our partners in the Norwegian government for supporting this decision. We are working to expand these opportunities next year,” said Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine, Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba in a press release.
It is noted that the liberalization of transport with Norway has been extended for the second time. The first such agreement between the countries was reached in August 2023. To date, “transport visa-free travel” is available with 35 countries, including the EU.
The Ministry of Development reminds that drivers must have a certificate confirming the environmental class of the vehicle on board in order to take advantage of the transport liberalization conditions.
As reported, in April, “transport visa-free travel” between Ukraine and the EU was extended until the end of 2025.
