Defence cooperation between Ukraine and Norway

-Norway will send personnel to two exercises in Ukraine in September. Two staff officers are now participating in the Sea Breeze exercise in Odessa, and later in September two observers will take part in the exercise Rapid Trident. Norway has also volunteered to provide the deputy head of the NATO Liaison Office in Kiev. From Norway, we will be supporting Ukraine with advice and counsel,” says Øystein Bø, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.

Defence cooperation between Ukraine and Norway

Defence cooperation between Norway and Ukraine was agreed in 1999, and is organised through annual activity plans. Before the Ukraine crisis, the 2014 plan of cooperation had consisted of several measures, including cadet exchanges between military academies, official security-policy discussions and Norwegian support for distance education at the defence university in Kiev. The Norwegian educational support was to include personnel as well as experiences gained by Norway in cooperation with Serbia.

In the wake of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilising role in eastern Ukraine, Norway’s Ministry of Defence has decided to strengthen defence cooperation with Ukraine in both the NATO partnership framework and the bilateral military activity plan. The result has been as follows:

• Donation of field rations: In April Norway and a number of allied countries received a appeal for support from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. Norway accommodated the request and donated 77,000 field rations to Ukraine in June. This contribution was greatly appreciated by the Ukrainian authorities.
• Strengthening the NATO Liaison Office (NLO) in Kiev: In the spring of 2014 Norway placed a national expert at the temporary disposal of the NLO in Kiev, and will send a national expert to the office in the autumn of 2014.
• Exercises: Norway has deployed staff personnel to the Ukrainian-US naval exercise Sea Breeze from 6-11 September 2014 and the US-Ukrainian land exercise Rapid Trident from 14-26 September 2014. A Norwegian major general will take part in Rapid Trident’s Distinguished Visitors Day on 19 September.
• In addition, Norway is expanding the cadet exchange programme between our respective military academies and helping to enhance training efforts directed towards Ukraine’s national guard. Norway will also carry out security consultations in conjunction with a later Secretary of State visit to Ukraine.