Norway and the rest of Europe must close their seaports to Russian ships, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Norwegian parliament today, Reuters reports.
The European Union and, I hope, Norway should impose a ban on the use of European ports by Russian courts while they block our ports, Zelensky said, speaking on video from Ukraine.
He added that Ukraine and Norway, Europe’s second-largest gas supplier after Russia, have begun talks to supply 5 billion cubic meters of gas next winter.
“You can make a crucial contribution to Europe’s energy security by providing the necessary resources to both the European Union and Ukraine,” Zelensky told Norwegian lawmakers. “We have already started a dialogue on the supply of about 5 billion cubic meters for the next heating season. I hope this will be the basis for our long-term cooperation in this area.”
Last year, the Scandinavian country exported 113.2 billion cubic meters of gas, according to Reuters.
Zelensky also told 169 lawmakers in Storting, Norway, that Russia “wants to destroy the foundations of Europe,” according to the Associated Press. The Ukrainian head of state noted that “the future of Europe is being decided now,” and said that given Russia’s military activity in Ukraine, “there are no forbidden goals.”