The Norwegian government has vowed to continue supplying fuel to the United States Navy after a local oil and shipping company said it would boycott America over the recent confrontation between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.
Norway’s Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that U.S. ships would continue to receive support from the Nordic nation after Norwegian marine fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers said it would cut off operations with the United States.
In a statement, Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik said: “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. I can confirm that all requested support has been provided.
“The U.S. and Norway maintain a close and strong defense cooperation. American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway.”
Following the dramatic Oval Office meeting on Friday in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was ejected from the White House after being accused of disrespecting President Donald Trump, the privately-owned Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers described the scene as the “biggest shitshow ever presented on live tv”.
In a since-deleted post on Facebook, the company reportedly said, “Huge credit to the president of Ukraine for restraining himself and for keeping calm even though the USA put on a backstabbing TV show.
“It made us sick. Short and sweet. 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!”
“We encourage all Norwegians and Europeans to follow our example. SLAVA UKRAINA”.
‘Absolute Idiocy’ — Zelensky Blasted by Ukrainian Lawmaker for ‘Arguing’ With President Trump in Front of the Worldhttps://t.co/vnrzBeF9WN
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 1, 2025
Speaking to the maritime Norwegian news outlet Kystens, Haltbakk Bunkers owner Gunnar Gran admitted that the move from his company was largely symbolic, claiming that his company employs “many Ukrainians”.
Gran reportedly said, “Not a litre will be delivered until Trump is done.” However, he admitted that the boycott is unlikely to “capsize” any American ships, saying that his company only supplied around 3 million litres to American ships last year.
For context, many American naval vessels can carry multiple million litres of fuel in their tanks at any given time. The U.S. Navy also has a fleet of replenishment tankers which can refuel ships at sea.
Since calling for the boycott, the Facebook account for Haltbakk Bunkers has gone dark, likely indicating that it was either deleted or made private, according to a notification displayed by the social media company.
After the call from the Norwegian firm to boycott the United States, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah suggested that America leave the Western NATO military alliance, saying on Saturday, “Europe doesn’t love us… Let’s leave NATO.”
