On Sunday, Huitfeldt met his Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba, in connection with the security conference in Munich.
Huitfeldt says that the Ukrainian foreign minister’s message to her was that Ukraine is now doing everything they can to calm the situation.
– They experience a number of provocations, but they will not give Russia any kind of excuse to attack. And it is very reassuring, says Huitfeldt to TV 2.
Huitfeldt says that both she and her Ukrainian colleague are worried that war will break out.
– When it is said that the exercise is over, but there are just as many soldiers there, it makes everyone who is at the conference worried. There is no sign that there is any connection between what Russia says and what is happening on the ground.
– Very restless
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Russia’s emergency minister Alexander Chupriyan has said that Russian authorities have received 40,000 “refugees” from Ukraine, and that these are being housed in 92 emergency camps.
– When civilians are moved in that way, it is clear that we are very uneasy right now, Huitfeldt says.
– Did Kuleba ask for help from Norway?
– Yes, and we must coordinate it with other EU countries. Both the more short-term humanitarian, but also the more long-term that we will follow up through a donor country conference and through our embassy in Kyiv, says Huifeldt.
– Foreign Ministers of Norway and Ukraine, Anniken Huitfeldt and Dmytro Kuleba. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Think money is most important now
Huitfeldt emphasizes the importance of the various countries contributing in a coordinated way, so that aid to Ukraine makes sense.
– Several EU countries send help, for example in the form of generators and field hospitals. Should Norway send money or concrete objects?
– Basically, I think the most important thing in a situation like Ukraine is in now, is to send money that they can meet in a way that they think is appropriate, says Huitfeldt.
She also points out that there have been other situations where Norway has contributed to sending concrete help, and that this is something that must be considered for each individual situation.
– How large sums are we possibly talking about from the Norwegian side?
– It is a bit too early to say anything about, but we will look at programs that can both support Ukraine’s economy in the long term and for immediate humanitarian aid.
Continued embassy in Kyiv
The United States and Britain are among the countries that have moved their embassies from the capital Kyiv to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine. Sweden has reduced the number of employees present at the embassy in Kyiv.
– Is it relevant for Norway to move the embassy from Kyiv, as several countries have done?
– We assess the situation continuously. What is important is that we have now contacted all Norwegians in Ukraine to ask them to come home. It is important to be in Kyiv as long as possible for the Norwegian embassy, but we assess security on an ongoing basis, says Huitfeldt.
– What are the risks for those who are still staying in Ukraine?
– I can not comment on the specific safety assessment that we do, but we follow the situation very closely. We must be prepared for anything.
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