Norway to help arm AFU brigades with modern weapons and armored vehicles - Umerov following meeting with counterpart

Norway will help arm the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) with modern weapons, armored vehicles and other technological solutions, is ready to allocate significant funds for ammunition and develop defense-industrial cooperation, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said following a meeting with Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Onshuus Sandvik.

"I was glad to meet with Minister of Defense of Norway Tore Onshuus Sandvik. I thanked my colleague for the initiative of the government and the support of the people of Norway - in particular, for the decision to allocate an additional EUR 5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine for 2025, raising the total amount of assistance for this hour to EUR 7 billion. Together, we analyzed ways to effectively direct these funds to strengthen the Defense Forces of Ukraine," Umerov wrote on Telegram on Friday.

According to him, one of the main issues for discussion was equipping the units. "Norway will help arm our brigades with modern weapons, armored vehicles and other technological solutions. This is critical support against the backdrop of current threats," Umerov said.

"The second priority is the provision of ammunition. We discussed various mechanisms for the supply of high-quality shells for the front. Norway, as an active participant in the Czech initiative, is ready to allocate significant funds for the purchase of ammunition for the Ukrainian army," the minister noted.

The parties also focused on developing defense-industrial cooperation. "We discussed launching new joint projects with Norwegian companies, in particular in the areas of air defense and maritime solutions. We are moving towards deepening this cooperation," Umerov added.