Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after a surprise visit to Norway on December 13 that it was an honor to address the Norwegian parliament and people for the second time.
Zelenskiy said his address -- this time in person -- was "not just about sending the right signal to Moscow" that Ukraine won’t be abandoned but was about "sending the right signal to our people, our soldiers, and everyone in Ukraine who is fighting and working for freedom."
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He noted in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Norway was the first country to approve a long-term support program for Ukraine, setting an example for other nations.
He also said a Ukraine-Northern European summit on December 13 affirmed that support for Ukraine is becoming long-term, calling it "a huge step" and "vital" to motivate people, not only in Ukraine.
"The 21st century should not be a period in which dictators triumph. And it won’t be," he said.
Zelenskiy made the unscheduled stop in Norway on his way home from the United States, warning that Ukraine can't successfully repel Russia's invasion without the West's help.
"You can't win without help. But you can't lose, because all you have is your country," Zelenskiy said at a joint news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere in Oslo.
"Today we talked and will talk about such specific things that can save thousands and thousands of Ukrainian lives, as well as increasing pressure on the aggressor," Zelenskiy told reporters.
Stoere announced a 3 billion-krone ($273 million) disbursement for Kyiv, which is part of a larger, 75 billion-krone aid package over five years.
"Norway will continue to support Ukraine's fight to defend itself. We are providing targeted, long-term support to assist Ukraine in its battle for freedom and democracy," Stoere said in a statement.
"Ukraine's efforts are important to safeguarding freedom and security here in Norway as well."
Zelenskiy, whose trip came as Russia launched another missile attack on Kyiv early on December 13, wounding dozens of people, including children, arrived in Norway straight after meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and lawmakers in Washington to make the case for continued U.S. military support for his embattled country.
While Biden continued to stand behind Ukraine and said he would keep pushing for congressional support, many Republican lawmakers who met with the Ukrainian leader appeared unmoved by his pleas for aid.
While Republicans say they support Ukraine, they have tied any funding bill to increased security at the U.S. southern border with Mexico.
WATCH: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on December 12 in a last-ditch effort to press for more military aid that experts say is crucial for the nation's survival.
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Biden Urges Zelenskiy Not To 'Give Up Hope' As Washington Debates Aid Package
Amid the stalemate between the White House and Congress, Zelenskiy left the United States with little sign of a bipartisan deal anytime soon that will keep money flowing from Washington to Kyiv.
Top Biden administration officials worked on December 13 on a last-minute deal by agreeing to Senate Republican demands to bolster U.S.-Mexico border policies to cut crossings, but Congress prepared to depart Washington on December 14 with the impasse unresolved.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was expected to resume talks with Senate negotiators even as advocates for immigrants and members of Biden's own Democratic Party fretted about the policies under discussion. Some demonstrated at the Capitol, warning of a return to the hard-line border and immigration policies of the Trump era.
From Oslo, Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram that he and Biden would work to step up the number of air-defense systems for Ukraine to repel attacks such as the one on Kyiv.
"Ten ballistic missiles. All shot down!" Zelenskiy wrote, referring to the number of missiles destroyed by Ukraine's air defense, adding, "Just yesterday President Biden and I agreed to work on increasing the number of air defense systems in Ukraine, the terrorist country (Russia) demonstrated how important this decision is."
"We will continue to work on building up our defense capabilities. And we already have new powerful agreements," he wrote.
Later on December 13, Zelenskiy joined Stoere, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for the Nordic summit.
SEE ALSO: Wider Europe Briefing: A Crucial Week In BrusselsZelenskiy's trip to Norway came ahead of a crucial EU summit on December 14-15 where the bloc is to discuss opening membership negotiations with Kyiv as well as a massive financial aid package amid strong opposition to both measures from EU member Hungary, whose right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban is Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest European friend.
The European Union executive on December 13 unlocked Budapest's access to 10 billion euros ($10.7 billion) of funding previously frozen over concerns Orban had damaged democratic checks and balances. Around 21 billion euros in further EU subsidies and COVID-19 recovery aid remain blocked as other reforms are still unaddressed, the European Commission said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier on December 13 told the European Parliament that the EU "must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today so it can be stronger tomorrow at the table when it is negotiating a long-lasting and just peace."
She told MEPs that Ukraine was "not only fighting against the invader, but for Europe, and joining our family will be Ukraine's ultimate victory. And for this, we have a decisive role to play."
SEE ALSO: With Aid In Doubt And Advances Slow, Ukraine Struggles In The War's 'New Phase'On December 12, Biden and Zelenskiy displayed their close relationship even as the U.S. president struggled to convince opposition Republicans of the need to further aid Kyiv.
Biden has urged the U.S. Congress to pass a supplemental budget bill containing billions of dollars in additional aid for Ukraine, saying it was the best way to assure Kyiv’s eventual triumph in the war.
Zelenskiy also met with U.S. senators and had private talks with House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose Republican colleagues have blocked a bill that includes tens of billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine.
Following that meeting, Johnson maintained his opposition to further aid for Ukraine, telling reporters that "what the Biden administration seems to be asking for is billions of additional dollars with no appropriate oversight, no clear strategy to win, and none of the answers that I think the American people are owed."