By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday thanked Nordic countries for their “real support” to his country in its war with Russia.
“Today, I want to thank each leader and country for their, for your real, huge support,” Zelenskyy said during a news conference in Oslo with his Finnish counterpart along with the Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish prime ministers following a meeting of the second Ukraine-Nordic summit.
During the news conference, Zelenskyy thanked Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store for Oslo’s leadership in providing defense support to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy later thanked Finnish President Sauli Niinisto for Helsinki’s 21st defense aid package for Kyiv, saying that this support is crucial “not just for our freedom, but also for other European nations sharing a border with Russia” that “understand what this threat is.”
He went on to thank Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen for Copenhagen’s support in helping reconstruction efforts in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, in creating the Ukraine Support Fund, and leading the Ukrainian fighter jet coalition.
“Your principled stance on holding Russia accountable for aggression and establishing the Register of Damages during Iceland’s Council of Europe presidency is valuable. Together, we will restore justice, and thank (you) for your decision (of) long-term support,” Zelenskyy also said while addressing Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir.
Zelenskyy later thanked Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for Stockholm’s 15th package of defense aid, saying that Kyiv values Sweden’s support for Ukraine at the European institutional level.
“I’m confident that, as long as we are united, and as long as Europe cares about unity, Russia will not break the freedom of our peoples,” he concluded.
Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo earlier in the day after a two-day visit to the US which began on Monday.