(Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that cooperation under the “Ukraine plus Northern Europe” format was gaining momentum and further steps that could increase pressure on Russia are expected in the coming week.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The five Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland – are now all NATO countries and have all been staunch supporters of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

Sweden and Finland joined the alliance earlier this year, with Stockholm declaring Russia was the biggest international security threat to Sweden. Finland and Norway share a border with Russia.

Moscow said NATO expansion was a dangerous historical mistake that would force Moscow to take countermeasures.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Nordic countries told Zelensky last year that they would support his country “for as long as necessary” in his fight to expel Russian forces and that they were ready to continue providing extensive military, economic and humanitarian aid.

Zelensky said in May that joint military aid from Nordic countries under separate security deals would amount to €6 billion this year.

This is in addition to the approximately 11 billion euros that the five countries are providing by the end of 2023.

MOST IMPORTANT QUOTES

“You understand that it is necessary to create problems for the aggressor so that Russia loses the opportunity to ruin the life of the world,” Zelensky said in his daily video address on Sunday.

“We will talk to the Nordics (next week) about new fundamental steps that can increase pressure on Russia for this war and in the interests of honest diplomacy.”

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Diane Craft)