Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store signed defense cooperation and strategic partnership agreements on Sunday. Zelenskyy expressed that these agreements fortify the foundation of long-term collaboration between the two nations in defense, energy, and resilience.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy extended his gratitude to Norway for its sustained support and commitment to providing approximately $9 billion in aid to Ukraine by 2027. He highlighted the significance of the agreements, emphasizing their role in enhancing bilateral relations. "Together with Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Store, we signed an Agreement on defense and security cooperation under the Drone Deal format and a Declaration on a Strategic Partnership - the Ellisiv Accord," Zelenskyy noted on US social media platform X.

Store announced Norway's plan to allocate 85 billion kroner ($9.2 billion) in new aid to Ukraine in 2027, with 70 billion kroner ($7.5 billion) earmarked for military support and 15 billion kroner ($1.6 billion) for civilian assistance. This commitment will be the third consecutive year of Norway providing significant annual support to Ukraine.

Store's visit to Kyiv was part of his participation in the Nordic-Baltic Eight summit hosted by Zelenskyy. The summit also saw the presence of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.