Ukraine’s defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, coordinated a joint support strategy with Norway to strengthen Kyiv’s forces, including extended-range munitions, Patriot interceptor missiles and Ukrainian-made drones.
Fedorov set out the priorities in a statement published online on June 5, written ahead of an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the format widely known as “Ramstein.”
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He held a working call with Norway’s defense minister, Tore O. Sandvik, before the two were due to meet face to face at the gathering. The exchange aligned support priorities and outlined the next steps in defense cooperation between the two countries.
Fedorov emphasized that Kyiv aims to hold its battlefield tempo while pressing Moscow toward a settlement. “Our task is to maintain this pace, increase pressure on Russia, and bring a just peace closer,” he wrote.
He pointed to several areas where partner support would carry the greatest weight, among them the possibility of fast-tracking additional financing for the Defense Forces before disbursements from a European credit line arrive. The agreed priorities included:
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extended-range artillery shells under the Czech initiative;
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interceptor missiles for Patriot systems through the JUMPSTART mechanism ;
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contributions to the PURL program;
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Ukrainian-made drones.
On the ground, Fedorov noted, Ukrainian forces continue to dismantle Russian logistics at operational depth, while ballistic missiles remain the central threat to Ukrainian airspace.
He identified air defense and anti-ballistic missile capabilities as Kyiv’s top priority, and both ministers agreed to continue coordinating on such systems.
Oslo’s financial role in Ukraine’s defense has widened steadily in recent months, with more than $300 million committed through the PURL mechanism to procure US-made weaponry.
The two governments have also moved to launch joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles on Norwegian territory, with several thousand medium-range strike drones planned.
Air defense against ballistic strikes has dominated Ukraine’s recent diplomatic outreach, with Norway separately signaling its readiness to bolster Ukrainian air defenses and to help build Europe’s longer-term protection against ballistic missiles.
Officials have cast a robust continental anti-ballistic shield as a shared European responsibility.
