Zelenskyy meets Norwegian Crown Prince on first visit to Ukraine
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hosted Norway's Crown Prince Haakon in Kyiv during his first-ever visit to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy noted on X that the Crown Prince had begun his visit to Ukraine with a tour of a rehabilitation centre in the town of Irpin in Kyiv Oblast, where wounded Ukrainian soldiers are recovering.
"During the meeting, we discussed strengthening energy resilience. We appreciate the US$450 million contribution of Norway to Ukraine's energy security. We also touched on deepening cultural ties between our nations and investment in the defence sector. There is strong potential in all these areas.
I thank Norway and the Norwegian people for their continued support of Ukraine," he wrote.
I met with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. The Crown Prince began his first visit to Ukraine by visiting a rehabilitation center in Irpin. I am grateful for this meaningful gesture of attention and support for our people.
– Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 20, 2025
During the meeting, we discussed strengthening energy… pic.twitter.com/a58cchHvzR
On the morning of 20 May, Crown Prince Haakon arrived in Ukraine. In addition to visiting the rehabilitation centre, he also travelled to the village of Moshchun – the site of key battles during the defence of Kyiv in February and March 2022. Norwegian Minister of Energy Terje Aasland also joined the visit.
This is the first visit by a member of Norway's royal family to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, and the first visit overall since Crown Princess Mette-Marit came to Kyiv in 2008.
In April, the Norwegian government approved an increase in assistance to Ukraine for 2025, raising it to nearly US$8 billion.
In April, Norway officially joined the Ukraine drone coalition.
Additionally, Norway continues to support the evacuation of seriously ill Ukrainian patients who require special transport.