Military support to Ukraine vital for our security says Norwegian border town mayor
"If dictator Putin is not stopped, he will look for the next areas in his sphere of interest. That could be us," said Magnus Mæland, mayor in the municipality bordering Russia's Murmansk region.
Ukrainians, Russians and Norwegians in Kirkenes rallied in support of Ukraine on the day of the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion which began on February 24, 2022.
Magnus Mæland said "we have to stand firm" with Ukraine's independence and we "have to do more" for their freedom.
Living next door to Russia's heavily militarised Murmansk region, the mayor is deeply worried about Putin's disrespect for international law.
"If dictator Putin is not stopped, he will look for the next areas in his sphere of interest. That could be us," Mæland said to the Barents Observer.
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was one of 13 leaders from Europe and Canada that came to Kyiv on Monday to mark the 3rd anniversary of the full-scale war.
Støre brought three important messages to President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people:
- 12,5 billion kroner (€ 1 billion) in civilian support.
- 3,5 billion kroner (€300 million) to procurement of military equipment for Ukraine from the Ukrainian defence industry and 600 million kroner for the procurement of various types of drones and development of drone technology for the Ukrainian armed forces.
- Norway will together with Nordic-Baltic countries provide equipment and training for a Ukrainian brigade-sized unit.
"The Norwegian Government has attached great importance to ensuring that the support from Norway reflects what Ukraine needs most in its fight to defend itself against Russia," Prime Minister Støre said.
He added: "The Norwegian Armed Forces are already providing training to Ukrainian soldiers in Norway, the UK and Germany. Now we will help to organise and carry out the training of an even greater number of soldiers."
Up north, the border municipality's support to Norway providing Ukraine with weapons is a paradigm shift compared with the early days after Russia's full-scale attack. Then-mayor Lena Norum Bergeng said to newspaper VG "we should have avoided sending weapons."
She argued: "It's so important to have a good relationship with Russia, especially for us in the neighbourhood."
At rally in Kirkenes this Monday, Harald Sunde with the Socialist Left Party said weapons to Ukraine must be supported.
"Norway and the world are completely dependent on a rules-based world order, not a world where the most powerful take control," Sunde said.
The border town that before 2022 maintained a broad cooperation with its neighbours in the east is today more unanimous in its condemnation of Moscow's brutal attack on Ukraine.
The municipal council has terminated friendship agreements with both Pechenga and Severomorsk on the Kola Peninsula. Mayor Mæland said the town today eyes cooperation in another direction.
"Inari, in Finland, is our nearest neighbour. We want to develop stronger ties with our best allies."
