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Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon Makes Historic First Visit to Ukraine
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Norway’s Crown Prince Regent Haakon arrived in Ukraine for his first official visit to the country, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported on May 20.
Traveling by overnight train, the prince disembarked at a station outside Kyiv, accompanied by Norway’s Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.
Upon arrival, he was welcomed by Norway’s ambassador to Ukraine, Helene Sand Andresen, along with a Ukrainian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Mishchenko.
During his visit, Crown Prince Haakon will meet with Ukrainian government officials and Norwegian partners, and he is also scheduled to visit initiatives funded by the Nansen Support Programme—Norway’s major aid framework for Ukraine.
“This visit is a sign of Norway’s firm and ongoing support for the Ukrainian government and people,” the Norwegian Royal House said in an official statement.
Haakon began his visit with a solemn stop at the “Victory Angels” memorial in the village of Moshchun in the Kyiv region.
The memorial honors those who died defending the area from Russian forces in early 2022, when at least 118 people lost their lives in fierce fighting. Moshchun lies near Bucha and Irpin, where some of the war’s worst atrocities occurred.
“To stand here on the battlefield leaves a deep impression,” the Crown Prince said after laying a wreath at the site.
He later visited a rehabilitation hospital treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers, where he met Oleksandr, a serviceman injured in the Donetsk region.
“We are very impressed by the courage you and the Ukrainian people have shown,” Haakon told him.
Earlier, the United Kingdom and Norway announced a joint military aid package for Ukraine worth £450 million (around $589 million) during the Ramstein meeting.
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