Norway, Ukraine boost drone cooperation
Jonas Gahr Støre and Volodymyr Zelenskiy expand defence ties
Norway and Ukraine have agreed to deepen defence cooperation that includes producing Ukrainian-designed drones on Norwegian soil, officials in Oslo said, framing the move as a boost to both countries’ military capabilities and Europe’s defence industry. Under a joint declaration signed following talks between Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the arrangement will combine Ukrainian battlefield experience and drone expertise with Norway’s industrial capacity, data sharing and manufacturing resources.
Norway pledged to support drone production inside Ukraine as well as host production facilities domestically, with officials saying locating some manufacturing in Norway can strengthen supply‑chain security and reduce vulnerabilities tied to producing equipment near conflict zones.
"We can learn from the experiences that Ukraine is making in this hard-won fight against the Russian aggression," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy thanked Norway for its assistance and framed the cooperation as part of a larger European effort to bolster Ukraine’s resilience.
The agreement follows Norway’s sustained financial and material support for Ukraine; Oslo has set up a long‑term funding package for Kyiv amounting to roughly $28 billion between 2023 and 2030. Støre said Norway can learn from Ukraine’s “hard‑won” combat experience and stressed the importance of integrating those lessons into national defence planning.
The partners described the initiative as part of broader efforts to translate Ukraine’s operational lessons into European defence planning and to expand cooperation on advanced military technologies, including anti‑aircraft systems and ammunition. Norwegian leaders portrayed the plan as mutually beneficial: Ukraine gains resilient production and access to northern industrial capacity, while Norway and allied European manufacturers can tap into Ukrainian innovation in unmanned systems. Officials also highlighted potential spillover effects for the civilian sector, citing job creation, technology transfer and increased manufacturing capacity across surveillance, reconnaissance and dual‑use platforms.
