The Sønsteby Prize 2026 is awarded to Free Ukraine

Dette innlegget er også tilgjengelig på norsk.

The Sønsteby Prize 2026 is awarded to the Association Fritt Ukraina, which since its establishment in 2022 has made a significant contribution to the vital struggle for democracy on our continent in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
They have mastered the demanding task of delivering targeted assistance effectively to the front lines. The association has supported both the civilian population and military forces, contributing to sustaining Ukraine’s will and capacity to defend itself.

Fritt Ukraina has demonstrated impressive implementation capacity and broad mobilization. More than NOK 425 million has been raised from over 10,000 unique donors, and membership has exceeded 4,000. They have organized around 100 convoys with volunteer drivers, ensuring that deliveries reached recipients directly.
Through established and trustworthy ties with local partners, short lines of communication, close oversight, and follow-up are ensured, regardless of bureaucratic obstacles. The association has achieved cross-party political support, helping to convey Ukraine’s history and struggle in Norway. That more than 250 people from Norway have traveled to Ukraine with equipment in itself helps to build defensive capability at home.

All countries can be invaded; it is the ability to resist over time that determines whether freedom is won. The will to defend among the Norwegian people gave us the strength we needed during the Second World War. Contributing to this in another country—and witnessing that resistance works—builds each individual’s understanding that our collective preparedness depends on every single person.
In Ukraine, one of the headquarters of the resistance movement is named “Gunnar,” after Gunnar Sønsteby, because the struggle for freedom, democracy, and sovereignty is the same in Europe today as it was during World War II.

The work of the Association Fritt Ukraina aligns with the Sønsteby Prize’s guiding principle of an uncompromising fight for democracy and the rule of law. In Fritt Ukraina’s enduring efforts, we see Gunnar Sønsteby’s values put into action: a necessary struggle for democracy that will continue until freedom is won.