A private Norwegian fuel company has refused to supply US warships in a protest against the treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by Donald Trump and JD Vance at the White House on Friday.
Haltbakk Bunkers - a private marine fuelling giant - issued a statement over the weekend that read: ’We have today been witnesses to the biggest [expletive] show ever presented ’live on tv’ by the current American president and his vice president.’
’Huge credit to the president of Ukraine for restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick. Short and Sweet,’ it continued. ’As a result, we have decided to immediate STOP as fuel provider to American forces in Norway and their ships calling Norwegian ports. ’No Fuel to Americans!’’ the company said in a now deleted Facebook post. The shocking statement sent Norway’s defence minister scrambling to assure the White House that its ties with Oslo remained strong despite Trump and Vance’s admonishing of the Ukrainian President.
’We have seen reports raising concerns about support for US Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government’s policy,’ Defence Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement. ’American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway,’ he added. Though the Facebook post was deleted over the weekend, Haltbakk Bunkers CEO Gunnar Gran later confirmed to Norwegian media that the company had indeed refused to supply the US military. ’We follow our moral compass,’ Gran declared. ’As you probably understand, not a litre will be delivered until Trump is finished... We run a private limited company and choose our customers!’
He added that his company also excluded Russian clients following the invasion of Ukraine - a decision that hurt revenue streams but remained in line with company values. It comes as Zelensky experienced an outpouring of support from European leaders, many of whom flocked to London on Sunday for a summit after the astonishing Oval Office blowout. The summit in London took on greater importance in rallying European commitment to defending its war-torn ally and boosting the continent’s defences after Trump said Zelensky was ’not ready for peace if America is involved’.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warmly embraced Zelensky on his arrival in London, saying he is determined to find an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Zelensky arrived to No. 10 Downing Street to a cacophony of cheers from onlookers after several of his peers also descended on London, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte were also present.
Starmer announced following the summit that Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States - a plan that emerged, he said, in talks among the countries’ leaders following the White House spat. Macron, flying back from the summit, told Le Figaro newspaper that France and Britain wanted to propose a partial one-month truce ’in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure’. Both have said they are prepared to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine to help preserve any truce - though British government officials this morning distanced No. 10 from the one-month truce proposed by France. A British official said: ’There are various options on the table, subject to further discussions with the US and European partners, but a one-month truce has not been agreed,’ in a statement to the FT.
Meanwhile, each European leader affirmed their commitment to supporting Zelensky and Ukraine. German Chancellor Scholz said: ’It is the country under attack, the victim of great aggression. This is the undeniable truth for everyone. And, of course, it also means that we must and will act accordingly. ’For us, it is also clear that this means we must support Ukraine both financially and militarily. International and transatlantic support for Ukraine remains crucial for the security of the country and of Europe.’ He added: ’Russia has always aimed to establish a government in Ukraine that follows its orders. This cannot be accepted. ’Ukraine is a European country that has chosen to seek membership in the European Union - a democratic and sovereign nation. And it must remain so.’
Meanwhile, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that no one in the West has any intention of capitulating to Putin’s ’blackmail and aggression.’ ’The best way to discourage Putin and other aggressors is to build our own strength, and the best way to convince President Trump to want to strengthen cooperation with Europe, and not weaken it, is our European strength. ’Everyone will want to work with a strong partner,’ Tusk told Polish reporters. Starmer wrapped up a security summit in London with other European leaders by saying Europe had to do the heavy lifting in defending itself. He then announced the UK will use £1.6 billion in export financing to supply 5,000 air defence missiles for Ukraine.
Offering diplomatic assurances, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot said that the truce on air, sea and energy would enable allies to verify whether Russia would be willing to end the war with Ukraine. He added that he believed that a dialogue between Trump and Zelensky could be re-engaged - a message mirrored by Britain’s US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, who said on Sunday there was a need for a ’very radical reset’ in relations, and that Zelensky and Trump should seek dialogue. The statements came as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed she would present a plan to ’rearm Europe’ to bolster the bloc’s security later this week. ’We all have understood that after a long time of under investment, it is now of utmost importance to step up the defence investment for a prolonged period of time. It’s for the security of the European Union,’ she said.
Von der Leyen added that the plan could for instance help develop advanced air shields. As for the future of war-torn Ukraine, von der Leyen said ’security guarantees are of utmost importance. ’We have to put Ukraine in a position of strength, so that it has the means to fortify itself and to protect itself,’ she said. ’It’s basically turning Ukraine into a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders.’ The renewed security commitments saw European defence shares skyrocket this morning. Germany’s Rheinmetall jumped 18 per cent, Britain’s BAE Systems increased 14 per cent in London and Italy’s Leonardo enjoyed a 15 per cent boost.
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