On Tuesday, May 20, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway arrived in Kyiv for his first official visit to Ukraine. He is the first member of the Norwegian royal family to visit Ukraine in nearly 20 years.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the visit underscores Norway’s firm and ongoing support for the Ukrainian government and people. Crown Prince Haakon is accompanied by Norway’s Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.
"During his visit, the Crown Prince will meet with Ukrainian government officials and Norwegian partners, and will visit projects supported under the Nansen Support Programme," the ministry said.
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According to NRK, Haakon arrived by train and disembarked at a station outside the capital. His first stop was the "Angels of Victory" memorial in Moshchun, where he laid a commemorative wreath.
“We are deeply impressed by their resilience and ability to persevere,” the Crown Prince said, referring to the Ukrainian people.
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This marks the first visit by a Norwegian royal family member since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, and the first since Crown Princess Mette-Marit visited Kyiv in 2008.
President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on Telegram of his meeting with the Norwegian Crown Prince.
“Crown Prince Haakon began his first visit to Ukraine with a stop at a rehabilitation center in Irpin. Thank you for this important show of care and support for our people,” Zelensky wrote.
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He noted that their discussions focused on strengthening Ukraine's energy resilience.
“We value the $450 million contribution from Norway to our energy security. We also discussed deepening our cultural ties and investment in the defense sector. There is strong potential across all these areas,” the president added.
