• Norwegian PM says Europe must do everything to ‘bring peace to Ukraine’

LONDON

Leaders of the Nordic countries met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday ahead of a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss his “victory plan” and the need for international support to counter Russia’s aggression and ensure lasting peace in the country.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen drew attention to growing concerns about the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war and the close relations between Russia, North Korea and Iran.

“Recent reports of the involvement of North Korean troops in the war are of great concern and show that this war is not just about Ukraine. The increasingly close relations between Russia, North Korea and Iran of course create serious concerns in terms of global security, and we need to face the facts. “I don’t think Russia can wage a full-scale war in Europe for more than two and a half years without China’s help,” Frederiksen said.

Scandinavian leaders of countries including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland also expressed their support for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and defense efforts with significant financial and military contributions.

Norway has announced plans to allocate 500 million euros ($540.8 million), focusing on air defense and energy support.

“We are currently putting another package before Parliament of around €500 million, within which we will put another military support package of around €350 million and we will continue to focus on air defence, which we know is important to you. “We will also work with our Danish colleague to strengthen this initiative,” he said.

Store emphasized that Europe must do its best to end the war and “bring peace to Ukraine.”

Sweden has pledged €43 million for multilateral initiatives, while Finland announced a defense package of €250 million.

“This is an effective and very fast way to support the Ukrainian armed forces. With these donations, Sweden will, for example, support the supply of air-to-air missiles for Ukraine’s F-16 program, support the maritime training of Ukrainian Marine Corps battalions and take part in the future supply of mine-clearing equipment,” said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

He added that Ukraine “bravely fought” not only for its own freedom, but also “defended European and Scandinavian freedom.”

The Ukrainian president confirmed the presence of 3,000 North Korean troops in Russia, while claiming that another 12,000 would soon arrive to fight on behalf of the Kremlin against Ukraine.

“We think they will get 12,000 soon,” he said, adding that Russia had been engaging in dialogue with Iran about missiles that could potentially be used against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy expressed his regret that Kiev is not on China’s side, calling it a “big problem”.

“I think they’re working with Russia, and that’s the problem,” he said.

He also touched on the potential impact of the change in US policy towards Ukraine and called on the EU to increase its support.

He acknowledged the risks and stressed the importance of “bipartisan support in Congress,” adding that “Europe has been a firm supporter of Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy also called for increasing pressure on Russia by imposing more sanctions on Scandinavian countries.

The Nordic Council will officially begin its session on Tuesday, and this year’s main theme will be Peace and Security in the Arctic.

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