Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived for meetings with leaders at a Nordic summit in Oslo, Norway on Wednesday.
Zelensky's previously unannounced visit came after a trip to the United States where he met with President Joe Biden and lawmakers, in an effort to shore up more support for Ukraine's defence against Russian aggression.
Norway's President Jonas Gahr Støre said he and Zelensky were meeting ahead of the summit on Wednesday.
Attendees of that meeting include Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The leaders held a joint press conference at around 2.30 pm Finnish time.
In his opening statement to reporters, Zelensky thanked the leaders standing alongside him, noting that the war in his country was being led by a single individual.
"We are protecting our way of life from a completely different, opposing system — one where only the interests of a single, irrational person matters, the one with all the power in Russia. And, if he wants, he starts wars," he said.
"If he dreams of an empire, hundreds of thousands of lives are lost to his delusions, and we must keep our pressure on him and his system so that he feels the losses and realises he must respect us, respect Europe, respect international law, and freedom of all nations," he continued.
Journalists were eager to get a chance to speak with Zelensky, and virtually all of the questions were directed towards the Ukrainian leader.
A Swedish reporter asked what the most important thing that Europe can do for Ukraine at this stage.
"We have such strong partners in the Nordic countries. What Europe can do, is the same as the Nordic countries do," Zelensky said.
Niinistö and Zelensky were also scheduled to hold bilateral talks.
Støre posted on X (formerly Twitter) late on Tuesday night that he met with Niinistö to discuss regional security.
This week's summit is the third such meeting this autumn, with leaders once again discussing regional security and defence issues.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine began nearly two years ago and the conflict has had major consequences in the Nordics — including Finland and Sweden applying to join Nato.
While Finland became a member of the alliance, Sweden's application still hangs in the balance, due to lagging approval by Turkey and Hungary.
According to Bloomberg, Turkey's parliamentary foreign affairs committee is not in a hurry to approve Sweden's accession.
Meanwhile, Hungary has reiterated that it will not be the last Nato country to approve Sweden's accession to the alliance, according to news service Reuters.
The Nordic leaders were also scheduled to discuss the Nato membership issue. Swedish PM Kristersson has previously suggested that Finnish-Swedish defence cooperation could become complicated if Sweden is kept out of the alliance for an extended period.
Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden have supported Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, in the form of humanitarian and defence aid.
Støre welcomed the Ukrainian leader in a press release issued on Wednesday.
"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. Ukraine’s efforts are important to safeguarding freedom and security here in Norway as well," Støre said in a press release.
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