Norway's Prime Minister Reenacted Viking Rowing Alongside Zelenskyy
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Støre unexpectedly mimicked the “Viking paddle” gesture, which is popular among Norwegian sports fans. The moment took place right in front of journalists and quickly caught the attention of those present.
Later, Støre also joked with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the upcoming match between the Norwegian and English national teams at the World Cup. During the meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Jonas Gar Støre, journalists asked whether the leaders had discussed the Norwegian national team’s recent victory over Brazil. “We talked about it,” replied the Norwegian prime minister. “I said I congratulated them on it,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy added with a smile.
As the leaders were posing for the cameras, one of the journalists joked, “Don’t ask the prime minister to row. He does that all the time.”
In response, Støre smiled and immediately demonstrated the motions that mimic rowing a boat. It is precisely this gesture that has become a true symbol of Norwegian soccer fans in recent weeks and has quickly gone viral on social media.
Prior to this, Jonas Gar Støre met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Both politicians arrived at the meeting wearing their national team jerseys and touched on the upcoming match between Norway and England. Stere recalled the historic 1981 match when Norway unexpectedly defeated England in World Cup qualifying. “I have to say that 45 years ago, Norway played against England in qualifying and won. Back then, the radio commentator shouted, ‘Margaret Thatcher, can you hear me? Your boys have suffered a crushing defeat,’" he said.
Keir Starmer responded just as wittily. “Yes, but you’re forgetting that England has only won the World Cup when a Labour government was in power—in 1966. So now it’s our turn,” joked the British prime minister. “We’ll see. It’s going to be a great match,” replied Stare.
| After Norwegian fans started the rowing trend, the Norwegian parliament responded. pic.twitter.com/ab4NaI63SM
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) June 18, 2026
The British government also reported that during the meeting, the leaders discussed the successes of their soccer teams and talked about the upcoming game in a friendly atmosphere. “The prime minister emphasized that the United Kingdom and Norway remain close allies and friends. But when it comes to a soccer match, all bets are off,” the British government noted. The match between the national teams of Norway and England will take place on July 12 in the World Cup quarterfinals.
What Is the “Viking Row Chant”?
The “Viking Row Chant” is one of the most popular soccer flash mobs of the 2026 World Cup. It was started by Norwegian fans after their national team qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. During the celebration, participants simultaneously mimic rowing motions, and after each stroke, they chant the Norwegian word “Row” (“Ryu”), which means “Row.”
In a short time, this gesture went viral. Norwegian fans performed it on escalators in Boston, in Times Square in New York, and members of the Norwegian Parliament even reenacted it right in the middle of a session.
After their 2–0 victory over Brazil, the Norwegian national team players themselves performed the traditional “rowing” gesture. Later, even members of the Norwegian Armed Forces joined the flash mob, making it one of the most recognizable symbols of this year’s soccer tournament.
