"The Government has … decided to permit direct sales of weapons and defense-related products from Norwegian defense industry to Ukraine," Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said.
Norwegian export control policy, agreed by the parliament in 1959, stipulates that "the main point of view should be that Norway will not allow the sale of arms and ammunition to areas where there is war or the threat of war."
Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram argued that the policy charge would safeguard "fundamental defense and security policy interests" of the Nordic nation and its allies.
Foreign Minister Barth Eide said export licenses would be granted by his ministry to those seeking to sell weapons to Ukraine on a case-by-case basis. Direct exports to other conflict zones will not be authorized.
"The fact that the government is now permitting direct sales to Ukraine does not mean that we will allow direct sales of weapons to countries at war on a general basis," he insisted.
Norway is one of Ukraine’s major war donors. It has provided around 11 billion krone ($1 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine in 2023 alone and plans to continue supporting Kiev militarily during what its government says may become a prolonged conflict.