Jonas Gahr Støre brushes aside the accusation made by those who would like Oslo to do more for Ukrainians and suggests that his country will soon become one of the very first donors.

"Norway is a lucky country," he said after visiting a gas liquefaction plant in Melkøya, near Hammerfest in the Arctic.

"We have the means to make a difference and I am aware of this responsibility".

Since last year, the Scandinavian kingdom has been working hard to help compensate for the collapse of Russian gas deliveries to Europe, of which it has become the main supplier, thus helping it to spend the winter warm.

Incidentally, Norway considerably fills its coffers, taking advantage of the runaway gas prices, still at a high level today after hitting historic highs last year as a result of the war.

This year, the government is planning a record budget surplus of 1.127 billion crowns (104 billion euros) which will supplement the country's sovereign wealth fund, already the largest in the world with more than 13.400 billion crowns in assets.

Inside and outside the borders, voices have been raised for the Nordic kingdom to redistribute at least part of this windfall to the Ukrainians, under penalty of being considered a "war profiteer".

"It's a notion that I categorically reject," says Støre.

"For 50 years, Norway has explored, at its own risk, and produced energy resources, oil and gas," he explains.

"It's not Norway that sets the prices."

The increase in gas prices, he notes, is also reflected in soaring electricity bills for Norwegian families and businesses, "which is politically a big challenge for us" in a country that turns, heats up and moves largely at the electric.

The site of Equinor's Melkøya gas liquefaction plant, near Hammerfest, in the Arctic.

Photo taken on January 31, 2023 © Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB/AFP

"Multi-annual aid package"

Faced with the dizzying income indirectly generated by the war, the Norwegian contribution to kyiv seems modest: Oslo says it has devoted 10.7 billion crowns (985 million euros) to civil and military assistance.

In terms of aid granted in relation to GDP, Norway occupies a modest 15th place in the ranking drawn up by the Kiel Institute for the World economy.

"I think that ranking will change very soon," says Støre.

His government is due to present "a multi-annual aid package" in the coming days which will benefit Ukraine and poor countries affected by the fallout from the war, such as soaring grain prices.

A Ukrainian trench on the front line near Donetsk, January 31, 2023 © YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

It will help the Ukrainians "to maintain their civil infrastructures, to - hopefully - one day rebuild a free Ukraine while also supporting them militarily".

The exact amount and content will be given "at the beginning of February".

The war in Ukraine and the upheaval in the energy landscape it has caused in Europe in any case confirm Norway in its desire not to give up the exploitation of its hydrocarbons, despite the climate emergency.

Last year, the country increased its gas deliveries to Europe by 8 to 10%, helping the latter to avoid the feared energy rationing.

"That's 100 TWh, that's a huge amount of energy," Støre notes.

If the European continent seems to be going through the winter smoothly, also thanks to mild temperatures, concerns are already emerging for next winter.

Mr. Støre wants to be reassuring.

"It's hard to predict but I think increased energy efficiency (...) combined with still high deliveries from Norway (...) and the various contacts Europe has made to get LNG (liquefied natural gas, editor's note) from America, the South, the Gulf... All this points in the right direction for 2024".

© 2023 AFP