COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) ā Prime Minister Jonas Gahr StĆøre of Norway said Thursday that the oil-rich Scandinavian country will become one of the worldās top donors to Ukraine when his two-party center-left government presents another planned military and civilian aid package.
Norwayās profits from oil will finance the additional aid, and there will be a temporary increase in the use of oil money, Gahr StĆøre told the Norwegian parliament, He did not reveal how large the contribution will be, but he said the government would make it soon.
āWe are in a situation where we have room for action due to extraordinary income from the petroleum sector,ā said the prime minister, who leads Norwayās 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 Europeās largest fossil-fuel exporters, and the conflict in Ukraine has boosted its gas revenues. However, Norway has fended off accusations that itās profiting from the war in Ukraine. Last year, the country gave Ukraine more 10 billion kroner ($1 billion) in civilian and military aid.
āWe are now stepping up this aid. We will contribute even more to the repair and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure,ā Gahr StĆøre said.
āThe war will very likely last for a long time, and there is a risk that the human suffering will get even worse,ā he said, noting several times that Russiaās 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 StĆøreās Labor Party said she hoped a large majority would back the governmentās plan. Norwayās governing coalition also includes the Center Party.
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