Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today called on Norway, Europe’s second-largest gas supplier after Russia, to to provide more energy to his country and the European Union.
During a video speech to Stuttingen, the Norwegian parliament, Zelensky also said that Russian ships “should not have the right to use the ports of the free world.”
“You can make a decisive contribution to Europe’s energy security by providing the necessary resources to the countries of the European Union and Ukraine,” he told lawmakers and members of the Norwegian government, who then applauded him standing up.
“We have already talked about the supply of about 5 billion cubic meters of gas for the next cold season,” he added.
Before the conflict in Ukraine, Norway covered between 20 and 25% of EU and UK gas needs compared to 45 to 50% of gas from Russia, a supplier to which the EU is now seeking to reduce its dependence.
Oslo, for its part, has taken steps to keep gas production at a maximum during the summer, generally a low period used in part to maintain offshore platforms.
“We offer as much as possible,” he repeated today Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stere on the NRK radio network.
The Ukrainian president also demanded that Russian ships be banned from making intermediate stops in European ports.
“The European Union and, hopefully, Norway should also ban Russian ships from using European ports,” said Zelensky, dressed in a khaki shirt.
“Right now, when (the Russians) block our ports, they should not have the right to use ports in the free world,” he said.
As with each of his speeches to a Western parliament, the Ukrainian leaders also called for more weapons, such as anti-ship missiles as well as anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems.
The same day, Norway has announced that it has provided Ukraine with an additional 2,000 M72 anti-tank weaponsin addition to the same number that had already been given shortly after the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February.
The Norwegian government also announced the allocation, through the World Bank, of EUR 20 million to finance Ukrainian government services, in particular for the payment of salaries of healthcare staff, teachers and civil servants, as well as for pensions and social assistance. .
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