On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre notified the parliamentary leaders at the Storting that the government will increase support to Ukraine next year from NOK 15 to 30 billion. It is an absolutely necessary move, which shows that Støre is serious when he says that “Norway must be clear and leading in its support for Ukraine’s resistance”.
The opposition hammers on.
The government has always been steadfast in its support for Ukraine’s liberation struggle after the Russian invasion. Norway took the lead early on and guaranteed predictable support for five years through the Nansen programme. It was a clear signal to Ukraine and to the rest of the world, which has since been followed up with further guarantees and increased amounts of money. The original 75 billion over five years in the Nansen program was expanded to a frame of 135 billion until 2030, and the government has clarified that the support is not a ceiling, but a floor.
At the same time, we have opened the borders for Ukrainian refugees from the war, far more than our neighboring countries. In short: The government has done a lot for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people. And it has been keen to gather broad support in the Storting for its policy.
Nevertheless, the opposition has and more voices in the media decided that we are not doing enough. They use every opportunity to attack the government’s Ukraine policy – and to outbid it. The Conservative Party has proposed tripling aid to Ukraine, while the Liberal Party believes that we must contribute over 100 billion a year.
It is of course the opposition’s right, but it leaves a sour taste in the mouth that support for Ukraine’s – and European democracy’s – existential war against Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian Russia is reduced to party politics in Norway.
The government trying to argue with the fact that the support must be used sensibly in Ukraine, and that the country does not have unlimited equipment to receive money and equipment. They speak to deaf ears. It also doesn’t help that the government explains that it is stepping up in step with the reported needs from Ukraine and is keen to get all peace-loving nations on board. The opposition continues to hammer away.
It goes without saying that Norway will take the lead and provide what is needed for Ukraine to resist and perhaps win on the battlefield. But how much is enough? We could have a factual discussion about that. Instead, the opposition is using the Ukrainian tragedy to make a mark. It is unfortunate – and undignified.
Read also: Oslo takes hold of the cardboard cup