STOCKHOLM, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Norway on Tuesday to attend the funeral of King Harald V, the office of Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said.
Tens of thousands of people as well as leaders from around the world are expected to be in Oslo for the funeral on Wednesday of King Harald, who died on August 28 at the age of 89.
Stoere said in a statement that he would meet Zelenskiy on Tuesday evening, with their discussions to focus on Ukraine’s air defence. Russia has resumed its near-constant drone and missile attacks on Kyiv after a brief halt for the visit of U.S. peace negotiators.
Russian strikes killed five people in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday, and other fatalities were reported in various parts of the country, officials said.
“Ukraine has a critical need for air defence and other military support, and they are facing a demanding winter,” Stoere said.
“The topic of the meeting is, among other things, how Norwegian military and civilian support can best meet Ukraine’s needs right now”.
Zelenskiy, posting on the Telegram messaging app, said he wanted to express his gratitude at the funeral for Norway’s help during the 4-1/2-year war with Russia.
He said talks with Stoere would focus on air defence and efforts to help Kyiv face Russian attacks through another winter.
There would also be discussions with companies taking part in the Freyja initiative to create a European anti-ballistic system, Zelenskiy said.
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Chris Reese, Ron Popeski and Paul Simao)
