AP

Norway PM says oil profits to fund more aid to Ukraine

Feb 1, 2023, 12:57 PM | Updated: Feb 2, 2023, 4:18 am

FILE - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks as he arrives to attend the Joint Expeditio...

FILE - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks as he arrives to attend the Joint Expeditionary Force meeting (JEF)in Riga, Latvia, on Dec. 19, 2022. Store said Thursday Feb. 2, 2023 that his two-party center-left government plans to give Ukraine another aid package soon will present another aid package that would make the oil-rich Scandinavian country one of the world’s biggest donors to Ukraine. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)

(AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway said Thursday that the oil-rich Scandinavian country will become one of the world’s top donors to Ukraine when his two-party center-left government presents another planned military and civilian aid package.

Norway’s profits from oil will finance the additional aid, and there will be a temporary increase in the use of oil money, Gahr Støre told the Norwegian parliament. He did not reveal how large the contribution will be, but he said the government would make it soon.

“We are in a situation where we have room for action due to extraordinary income from the petroleum sector,” said the prime minister, who leads Norway’s Labor Party. He said the aid would be arranged in a way that has very little impact on the level of activity in the Norwegian economy.

Norway is one of Europe’s largest fossil-fuel exporters, and the conflict in Ukraine has boosted its gas revenues. However, Norway has fended off accusations that it’s profiting from the war in Ukraine. Last year, the country gave Ukraine more 10 billion kroner ($1 billion) in civilian and military aid.

“We are now stepping up this aid. We will contribute even more to the repair and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure,” Gahr Støre said.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, a frantic search by European countries for alternatives to Russian energy dramatically increased the demand — and price — for Norway’s oil and gas.

Gahr Støre stressed the increased aid to Ukraine “should not, I repeat should not, be about bringing more oil money into the Norwegian economy.”

“The war will very likely last for a long time, and there is a risk that the human suffering will get even worse,” he said, noting several times that Russia’s war in Ukraine is about to enter its second year.

Lawmakers from the 10 parties in the 169-seat Stortinget plan to meet Monday to discuss aid to Ukraine. Rigmor Aasrud of Gahr Støre’s Labor Party said she hoped a large majority would back the government’s plan. Norway’s governing coalition also includes the Center Party.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

1 day ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

1 day ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

1 day ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Norway PM says oil profits to fund more aid to Ukraine