Norway disburses USD 400 million to support Ukraine's energy sector this winter: Oleksii Kuleba meets with Espen Barth Eide

Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Oleksii Kuleba, held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Espen Barth Eide. The key topics of the talks were energy sustainability of communities, protection of critical infrastructure, and financing of housing restoration programmes.

During the meeting, the Norwegian side announced that it would provide approximately USD 400 million to meet Ukraine's urgent needs during the winter period.

"Heating plants remain one of the main targets of russian attacks. During the last massive shelling alone, the enemy fired more than 20 missiles at those. russia is trying to provoke a large-scale humanitarian crisis, and we are doing everything we can to prevent this.

That is why we are forming a National Reserve of mobile and modular energy equipment. It is precisely such solutions that allow critical infrastructure to be quickly restored after attacks," Oleksii Kuleba emphasised.

The parties paid particular attention to the implementation of the Nansen Programme. In 2025, its volume reached NOK 85 billion, which is three times more than initially planned. The decision to extend the programme until 2030 with a total budget of NOK 205 billion is a strategic signal of confidence in Ukraine.

With Norway's support, reconstruction and development projects are being implemented:

• The Housing Opportunities for People's Empowerment (HOPE) project aims to finance the ongoing and major repairs of apartment buildings and private houses. In 2025 alone, 43,363 families received compensation for damaged housing thanks to the project.
• The Repairing Essential Logistics Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (RELINC) project is an initiative to rebuild bridges, overpasses and railway tracks, which includes upgrading Ukrzaliznytsia's rolling stock through the supply of electric locomotives, repairing main routes and purchasing port equipment.
• The Restoring Energy Supply in Winter and Energy Resource Supply (REPOWER) project provides operational support to the energy system amid constant attacks on critical infrastructure.

With NEFCO's support, EUR 16 million has been invested in municipal energy efficiency projects.

Oleksii Kuleba expressed his gratitude to Espen Barth Eide for his personal visit to Kyiv and the unwavering support for Ukraine from the Norwegian government and people.