Ukraine and Norway Sign Drone Deal and Strategic Partnership Declaration; Oslo Proposes $9 Billion in 2027 Aid
International AffairsWell-covered
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The Facts
- Zelenskyy and Støre signed an agreement on defence and security cooperation under the "Drone Deal" format in Kyiv on 23 August.
- The two leaders also signed a declaration establishing a strategic partnership covering defence, energy and resilience.
- Norway's government proposes 85 billion kroner (about $9 billion) in support for Ukraine in 2027, the same amount as in 2026.
- Most of the 2027 funding is earmarked for Ukraine's armed forces.
- The aid falls under Norway's Nansen Support Programme and must be submitted to the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, for approval.
- Norway has raised the Nansen Support Programme's total framework to about 274.5 billion kroner for 2023 through 2030.
- Støre said all parties in Norway's parliament back continued support for Ukraine.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said the drone agreement opens opportunities for joint production and development of defence technologies.
- Støre announced the 2027 figure in Kyiv during a visit by Nordic and Baltic leaders marking Ukraine's State Flag Day.
- Sources give differing names for the partnership declaration, calling it the "Ellisiv Accord" and the "Elizabeth Agreement," both referring to a daughter of Kyivan Prince Yaroslav the Wise who became queen of Norway.
Context
What is the "Drone Deal" format?
It is described as a model for long-term cooperation between Ukraine and partner countries, intended to draw on Ukraine's wartime experience, expertise and technology to develop solutions for shared security hromadske.ua. Ukraine's prime minister said the agreement with Norway opens opportunities for joint production and development of defence technologies Ukrinform-EN,Azeri - Press Infor…. Further details of the signed agreement have not been disclosed hromadske.ua.
What is the Nansen Support Programme?
It is Norway's long-term framework for supporting Ukraine, covering military, civilian and humanitarian assistance Jordan News | Lates…. Norway allocated 85 billion kroner under the programme in 2026 and proposes the same figure for 2027 KyivPost,Jordan News | Lates…. The programme's overall framework has been raised to roughly 274.5 billion kroner for 2023–2030 Jordan News | Lates…,Crypto Briefing.
What else was happening in Kyiv around the signings?
Six Nordic-Baltic leaders attended Ukraine's State Flag Day ceremony in Kyiv on 23 August, and Støre spoke at a summit of Ukraine and the NB8 countries Euromaidan Press,Ukrinform-EN. Reports also said Kyiv would host a meeting of the France- and UK-led "Coalition of the Willing" the following day BGNES: Breaking New…. Støre visited a site in Kyiv damaged by a Russian strike during the trip Ukrinform-EN.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Norway's commitment is real, heavily weighted toward Ukraine's armed forces, and locked into a decade-long framework — and the drone agreement's joint production extends it further still.
- Where Left and Right split
- Whether the story is about unanimous backing leaving a military-heavy, decade-long commitment barely scrutinized, or about one country visibly carrying a burden others have not matched.
- Why they won’t converge
- This is a values split over what the same kroner is for — one side treats military-weighted aid as the burden-sharing proof, the other wants energy and resilience given equal weight — so agreeing on the 85 billion figure settles nothing.
How left and right read it
Solidarity with Ukraine is not in question; the terms are. Most of the 85 billion kroner proposed for 2027 goes to the armed forces, and the drone agreement opens joint production of defence technologies — a long-horizon entanglement inside a framework already reaching 274.5 billion kroner through 2030. Every party backs it; scrutiny is scarce. So make the energy and resilience commitments carry equal weight.
Burden-sharing is not a slogan when most of 85 billion kroner goes straight to Ukraine's armed forces in 2027, held at the 2026 level inside a framework already set at 274.5 billion kroner through 2030. That is real weight carried. The drone agreement matters even more, because joint production of defence technologies builds capacity instead of dependence — so the question the Storting should weigh as it approves this is simple: who else is carrying this much?
The receipts — all 17 sources
Independent coverage (17)
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