DENMARK READY TO FINANCE DONATIONS VIA UKRAINIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY

The Minister of Defence and his Ukrainian colleagues, Deputy Minister of Defence Dmytro Klimenkov and Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin, signed a letter of intent that future Danish donations can be financed via investments in the Ukrainian defence industry. Earlier this month, the government had set aside a pool of DKK 200 million DKK for that particular effort.

Drones, missiles and artillery. These are some of the capabilities that the Ukrainian military demands in the fight against Russia, and that the Ukrainian defence industry has the capacity to produce.

"We are leading the way by reserving funds to donate to Ukraine's defence struggle by investing in the Ukrainian defence industry and my hope is that more countries will follow our example. After my visit to a number of Ukrainian defence industry companies in Kyiv in March, I am convinced that there is great potential for future cooperation that can deliver much-needed materiel to Ukraine that will help make a difference on the battlefield and at the same time help build the defence industry in Ukraine", says Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

The conservative chairman, Mona Juul, and the defence spokesperson of the Radical Left, Christian Friis Bach, were also on the trip, and the Danish politicians saw concrete examples of some of the highly demanded military capacities that are developed and produced locally in Ukraine.

“It is crucial for Ukraine's progress on the battlefield that they have enough weapons, ammunition and air defence. Therefore, Denmark was one of the first countries to enter into a security commitment to Ukraine, which also includes industrial cooperation. Now we take the next step. With Danish investments in Ukraine's defence industry, we can ensure faster and more efficient military support for the front line. It will ensure more optimal conditions for Ukraine's forces in their defence against Russia's war of aggression", says Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

Concretely, Denmark must finance equipment produced by Ukrainian industry via the Ukraine Fund. In connection with donation package XVII, DKK 200 million was set aside for investments in the Ukrainian defence industry. The declaration of intent is to pave the way for the realization of the 200 million kroner. The declaration of intent must also contribute to strengthening closer cooperation between the Danish and Ukrainian defence industries. Several Danish and Ukrainian companies are already in dialogue about cooperation, and building defence industrial innovation and production capacity is a crucial priority for both Denmark and Ukraine's security.