Norway signed an agreement with the European Union (EU) on Tuesday on the Norwegian contribution to the European Peace Support Mechanism (MEAP) with military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, after the Russian invasion.
According to a statement issued by the Council of the EU, Norway’s military aid to Ukraine will include ammunition and spare parts for Leopard 2 tanks (such as those sent by Portugal).
The agreement signed arises from the commitment made by Oslo in February to support the MEAP with 22 million euros. To date, the Norwegian contribution to this mechanism has amounted to more than 36 million euros.
The MEAP was created in 2021 to finance EU support in the areas of defense to countries that need such help, such as Ukraine, which has been fighting an invasion of the Russian Federation since February 24 last year and has caused millions of refugees, displaced people and sown uncertainty in the global geopolitical landscape.
The military offensive launched on February 24, 2022 by Russia in Ukraine has so far caused the flight of more than 14.7 million people -6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.2 million to European countries-, according to the latest UN data, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the broader international community, which has responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
Source: TSF
