The Danish government has announced a new, seventeenth package of military aid to Ukraine worth almost 300 million euros. Part of the money will be used to invest in the Ukrainian defence industry. The funds will also be used to purchase ammunition, drones and missile components.
This is stated in the message of the Defence Ministry of Denmark.
"Investments in the Ukrainian defence industry for the purchase and transfer of weapons and ammunition, unmanned aerial vehicles and the production of missile components in cooperation with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, as well as significant maritime assistance. These are the main elements of the 17th aid package. The total value of the package is approximately DKK 2.2 billion (about EUR 295 million)," the statement said.
DKK 200 million (about EUR 26.8 million) is earmarked for investments in the Ukrainian defence industry.
"With the latest aid package, Denmark underlines its unconditional support for Ukraine's fight for freedom. The 17th package focuses on increasing defence and industrial cooperation with Ukraine, which comes against the backdrop of a growing need to strengthen and develop Ukraine's production of artillery, missiles and drones," Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen commented on the aid.
He noted that in March he visited several Ukrainian defence companies in Kyiv and it became clear that there is great potential for future cooperation.
"The situation in Ukraine is critical. With this new package, we are providing Ukraine with more military support that they need right now and here. At the same time, we are creating an opportunity for direct investment. This is a new initiative that I hope can inspire other countries to do the same, so that Ukraine itself can produce more of the military equipment it so desperately needs," added Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Like previous assistance packages, this one involves a number of different agreements with Allies, both for procurement and donations from NATO defence companies. Some of the equipment will be supplied by Danish companies.
- In early April, Denmark allocated €5.8 million to rebuild Ukraine's energy system. The decision was prompted by recent Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure.
- In February, the country agreed on a 1.7 billion kroner ($247.40 million) military aid package for Ukraine.
- Before that, Denmark said it was ready to transfer all its artillery to Ukraine. The country also urged other European countries to provide Ukraine's armed forces with ammunition and air defence systems.
- In addition, Ukrainian pilots are completing training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark, and the Ministry of Defence has announced that Ukraine will receive the first Danish F-16s this summer.