Nordic leaders meet with Ukrainian president ahead of summit

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) – Leaders of Nordic countries met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday ahead of a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland to discuss his “victory plan” and the need for international support to counter Russia's aggression and ensure lasting peace in the country.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlighted the growing concern over the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war and the close relationship between Russia, North Korea and Iran.

“Recent reports on the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war is of great concern, and it just shows that this war is not just about Ukraine. The increasingly close relationship between Russia, North Korea and Iran is of grave concern also, of course, for global security, and we need to face reality. I don't think Russia could be able to have a full-scale war in Europe for more than two-and-a-half years without help from China,” said Frederiksen.

The Nordic leaders of countries including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland also expressed support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union and defense efforts with significant financial and military contributions.

Norway revealed plans to allocate €500 million ($540.8 million), focusing on air defense and energy support.

“We are putting to Parliament now another package of about €500 million where we will put about €350 million for another military support package, where we will continue to concentrate on air defense, which we know is important for you. We also will work with our Danish colleague to strengthen that initiative,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at a joint press conference following bilateral meetings.

Store emphasized that Europe must do everything it can to settle the war and “bring peace to Ukraine.”

Sweden pledged €43 million for multilateral initiatives while Finland announced a €250 million defense package.

“This is an efficient and very fast way of supporting Ukraine's armed forces. Together with these donations, Sweden would support the procurement of air-to-air missiles, for example, for the Ukrainian F-16 program, support the maritime training of Ukrainian Marine infantry battalions and take part in the coming procurement of demining equipment,” said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

He added that Ukraine is not only “bravely fighting” for its own freedom, but they are also “defending European and Nordic freedom.”

The Ukrainian president confirmed the presence of 3,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia while alleging that another 12,000 soldiers will soon arrive to fight for the Kremlin against Ukraine.

“We think that they will have 12,000 soon,” he said, adding that Russia is also having a dialogue with Iran about missiles which could potentially be used against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy expressed regret that Kyiv does not have China on its side, describing it as “a big problem.”

“I think that they work with Russia, and this is the problem,” he said.

He also addressed the potential impact of a change in US policy towards Ukraine while calling on the EU to boost its support.

He acknowledged the risks and emphasized the importance of “bipartisan support in Congress” adding that “Europe is a solid supporter of Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy also called on Nordic countries to increase pressure on Russia by imposing further sanctions.

The Nordic Council will officially begin its session on Tuesday, and the main theme this year is Peace and Security in the Arctic.