Nordic leaders in Kyiv are meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as Ukraine marks its National Flag Day, with air defence and continued military support high on the agenda. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre are among the Nordic and Baltic leaders visiting the Ukrainian capital at a time of intensified Russian missile attacks.
The gathering comes one day before Ukraine marks 35 years of independence on 24 August. Stubb is on a two-day visit to Kyiv with his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb, while Støre and Frederiksen are attending meetings with Zelenskyy and other leaders from the Nordic-Baltic region.
Nordic leaders in Kyiv focus on air defence
Ukraine’s shortage of air defence missiles has become one of the central issues during the visit. According to NRK, Støre said Ukraine remains particularly vulnerable to ballistic attacks and that Zelenskyy and his government repeatedly raise the need for better protection.
“It is the major vulnerability, and that is what Zelenskyy and his team bring up all the time. Protection against this type of attack,” Støre told NRK.
The Norwegian prime minister said European industry is working on systems capable of countering Russian ballistic missiles and that governments are supporting those efforts.
Frederiksen also used the visit to call for more air defence for Ukraine. Speaking in Kyiv, she said Western countries could provide additional protection if there was sufficient political will.
“If we don’t do it, Ukraine is facing a winter in which the Russians will continue to smash away, including with ballistic missiles, and kill a lot of people,” she told Danish TV 2.
Denmark does not itself have Patriot systems available to transfer, Frederiksen said, but it can help finance additional capabilities. During the official ceremony for Ukraine’s National Flag Day, she said that Kyiv now urgently needs air defence and that its partners should deliver it.
Norway plans another NOK 85 billion for Ukraine
During his visit, Støre announced that the Norwegian government will propose NOK 85 billion (€7.83 billion) in support for Ukraine in its 2027 state budget, maintaining the same overall level allocated in 2025 and 2026.
The assistance is provided through the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine, Norway’s long-term framework for military and civilian support. NRK reported that the government intends to continue providing both forms of assistance as Ukraine prepares for another winter of war.
For 2026, NOK 70 billion was allocated to military purposes and NOK 15 billion to civilian support. The Norwegian government has not yet announced the final division of the proposed 2027 package.
“Norway will continue to support Ukraine’s defence struggle. Ukraine is facing a difficult winter. We are now giving a clear signal that Norway will continue to contribute, both civilian and militarily,” Støre said.
The proposal still has to pass through the Norwegian budget process and receive approval from the Storting, Norway’s parliament.
Stubb joins Nordic-Baltic meetings during a two-day visit
Finnish President Alexander Stubb arrived in Kyiv with Suzanne Innes-Stubb for a visit that will continue through Ukraine’s Independence Day on Monday.
According to Yle, Stubb is taking part in the Ukraine-Nordic-Baltic summit as well as a meeting involving leaders from the broader coalition of countries supporting Ukraine.
The Finnish broadcaster reported that the visit is taking place amid a difficult security situation in Kyiv, where warnings over ballistic missile attacks have become frequent. Ukrainians interviewed by Yle specifically identified Patriot interceptor missiles as one of the country’s most urgent needs.
Nordic and Baltic support remains closely coordinated
Alongside Frederiksen, Stubb and Støre, the meeting includes Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, according to TV 2 Denmark.
The leaders are discussing Ukraine’s military needs, defence-industrial cooperation and the conditions for any future negotiations with Russia. Støre said he currently sees no indication that Moscow is ready to enter meaningful negotiations and argued that USA involvement and pressure on Russia would be important for any new diplomatic process.
Norway and Ukraine are also expected to sign a new agreement on bilateral cooperation during Støre’s visit. The Norwegian prime minister said Ukraine’s wartime experience is relevant to Norway as it develops its own preparedness and defence planning.
The Kyiv meeting underlines the unusually close coordination that has developed between Ukraine and the Nordic-Baltic countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion. As the war moves towards another winter, the immediate question is becoming increasingly concrete: whether Ukraine’s partners can provide enough air defence systems and interceptor missiles to protect its cities from the intensified Russian campaign.
