Ukraine and Norway will begin negotiations on bilateral security guarantees, as President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday.

He stated that he had spoken with Jonas Gahr Støre and thanked Norway for recent military assistance and long-term support. They agreed to start negotiations regarding a document on bilateral security guarantees based on the Vilnius Declaration of the "Group of Seven."

According to Zelensky, they also discussed events on the frontlines of Ukraine and Ukraine's priority defense needs. They discussed further strengthening their troops, particularly in terms of air defense to protect critical infrastructure and the Black Sea grain corridor.

"Special attention was paid to the Middle East. We agreed that further escalation is unacceptable and called on all parties to avoid civilian casualties," Zelensky added.

As reported by Zelensky's press service, the presidents also coordinated their positions for future international events during their conversation.

In particular, the President of Ukraine invited the Norwegian side to participate in the next meeting of the leaders' national security advisors regarding the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

Furthermore, Zelensky expressed his gratitude to his counterpart for the long-term budget support programs for Ukraine.

"Such programs are of paramount importance because they provide us with more confidence in the future, facilitate long-term planning, and send a strong signal to other countries," he stated.