15 Sep 2023 06:50 – Updated 15 Sep 2023 07:15
Norway has gone from being accused of being a war profiteer to topping the Kiel Institute’s list of support for Ukraine measured against gross national product.
It recognized How to urge t outed keeps track of the aid that has been given to Ukraine. They write that in September Norway went to the top of the list of contributors measured against GDP after Norway made promises of long-term billions in aid.
Norway has promised aid equivalent to 1.7 percent of GDP, according to the statistics.
– It is nice that Norway is at the top of the statistics, but the most important thing is that Ukraine gets the help they need, in the way they need, and at the right time, says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt to NTB.
She believes it is important to point out that Norway has committed to providing support over several years in the future.
– It provides a completely separate security for Ukraine in their struggle to win back control over their own areas and keep the wheels turning in the Ukrainian economy and the morale of a war-weary population, says Huitfeldt.
Also high up in sheer numbers
Norway is ahead of Lithuania and Estonia on the list of donations measured against GDP. Norway is part of a European wave which means that Europe now gives more than the USA measured against GDP. This is especially thanks to long-term support.
If costs related to accepting Ukrainian refugees are included, Norway comes a little further down the list behind countries such as Poland, Estonia and Latvia.
Through the Nansen Fund, Norway has promised support worth NOK 75 billion over five years. Norway is also high up in pure numbers.
In terms of military support, Norway is number four on the list of countries measured in kroner and øre. Only Great Britain, Germany and the United States provide Ukraine with more military aid.
From war profiteer to top donor
It is surprising that Norway reigns supreme, but not something that affects Norway’s role in the war or that can trigger reactions from Russia, says Professor Tormod Heier at the Norwegian Staff School.
He believes there are three reasons why we are at the top of the list: Norway’s extraordinary income in recent years, that it is in Norway’s interest to prevent Russia from succeeding and a uniquely Norwegian self-image as a major humanitarian actor.
– The perception of Norway as a “war profiteer” in parts of Eastern Europe may have influenced the Storting to be extra generous. This is money we would not have had anyway if the war had not happened, says Heier to NTB about the extraordinary income Norway has had.
– Norwegian security rests on a Western solidarity community. Then it is stupid to be considered a free passenger and a profiteer, he says.
From Nansen to Ukraine
At the same time, he points out that it is in Norway’s interest to prevent a Russian-led sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.
– Such a scenario would undermine Norway’s first-line defence, which is international law in the UN, says Heier.
– Finally, it must also be mentioned that the huge sums of money support the uniquely Norwegian self-image that the politicians in Oslo painstakingly build up for their own population and close allies. This is a picture in which Norway appears as a humanitarian power, says Heier.
– The cross-party agreement in the Storting is also sold to the population in a whimsical way. Here the government freely plays on the positive feelings that the population has towards the peace prize winner, humanist and national hero Fridtjof Nansen. It’s almost like it’s a bit much, says Heier.
Part of the support Norway gives to Ukraine is given through what has been dubbed the Nansen Fund.
Doubts about Russian reactions
Heier does not believe that Norwegian support is something that can be used against us by Russia, despite the fact that Norway stands out at the top of the lists.
– The reason is that Norwegian aid is so well integrated into a wider Western collective of like-minded countries. In that sense, Norway does not stand out very much, says Heier.
He points out that Norway also has means of pressure to respond with if Russia reacts.
– Should the Russians threaten Norway, the authorities in Oslo will easily be able to respond with a similar response: to invite more American forces into the Barents Sea or Finnmark, says Heier.
– Putin’s room for maneuver is almost gone
He believes that we must rather fear hybrid threats that try to create anxiety and worry in society.
Nor is the debate about whether Norway is a party to the war influenced by us topping the donor lists, Heier believes.
– This is because the experiences from the first 18 months of the war are positive. The vast majority see that the war will most likely not escalate beyond Ukraine. Thus, Norway and the West will not risk being drawn into a major war with Russia either.
Heier believes that Putin has little to contend with.
– The room for action is almost completely gone. Putin has painted himself into a corner. His only hope is to bide his time and wait for the unity within the West to crumble. It is probably the most important debate in the years to come.
2023-09-15 04:50:23
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