“The visit began last night with some initial, very interesting tours, which cannot be discussed publicly. But I am very pleased that my colleague immediately immersed himself in the course of our war: what we need, what is happening on the battlefield, and what our priorities are,” said Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov.
According to him, just one week after the appointment of the new Danish Defence Minister, the Ukrainian side was already working with its partners to adjust the announced aid in line with current priorities. In particular, following Jeppe Brøus’s response, short-range 155mm artillery was replaced with a longer-range version.
During the meeting in Kyiv, discussions focused on new aid packages, the situation on the battlefield and in the Russian economy, plans for this year, the procurement process and ongoing reforms.
“A separate discussion focused on how we can assist our partners: this involves data analysis and the experience we gain on the battlefield. We discussed in detail the potential launch of Denmark Brave1 — an innovation-focused initiative. I hope we will also launch a joint project,” Fedorov said during the briefing.
The priorities remain the same as those announced at the recent Ramstein meeting: the PURL programme, extended-range artillery and Ukrainian-made drones. Denmark is helping Ukraine make progress in these areas.
“In total, Denmark has provided almost €10 billion in aid since the start of the full-scale invasion,” Fedorov noted.
As Minister Jeppe Brøus stated, Denmark is closely monitoring the capabilities Ukraine has developed in conducting deep strikes and inflicting damage on the Russian economy.
“We feel a strong sense of solidarity, both in honour of those who have fallen and in tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian people. I am very grateful for the struggle the Ukrainian people are waging against Russian aggression. My task is to ensure that we not only continue but also build on our cooperation. Our partnership is, in many respects, an equal one. And we on the Danish side need to invest even more so that we can learn more, both in terms of technology and other aspects of military experience: how you, as Minister of Defence, and all military personnel are doing a magnificent job and demonstrating that the Russians can be defeated both on the battlefield and in the technological race,” said Jeppe Brøus.
New support packages will be announced in approximately a week, the Danish minister said.
When asked by Danish media whether Fire Point was a corrupt company, Mykhaylo Fedorov replied that it was for law enforcement agencies to determine this.
“For our part, we are building a transparent procurement system and supporting the market in Ukraine. Since I became minister, we have launched tender procedures for the procurement of long-range 155mm artillery, and we have now launched a tender for the procurement of drones. We will procure all types of drones through tender procedures, so our task is to build the most transparent procurement system in the world. Weapons procurement systems around the world are generally rather opaque. I believe this will set an example for everyone.”
Regarding the joint missile production project in Denmark, Fedorov noted that he had discussed with the previous minister the bureaucratic obstacles slowing the development of projects not only in Denmark but across many European countries. He expressed hope that these issues would be resolved and that all necessary conditions for production would be put in place.
“Among other things, we discussed the Freya anti-ballistic programme, which is important for the defence of the entire European Union, not just Ukraine. This could become the first large-scale project for the production of anti-ballistic systems. We are making progress towards launching this project, and we hope that Denmark will also join this consortium,” said Fedorov.
A small exhibition showcasing samples of new Ukrainian weaponry was also held as part of the meeting.
