Denmark to invest nearly $630 million into Ukraine's defense production
Denmark will invest 4.2 billion Danish kroner (£628 million) into Ukraine's arms production, according to Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. Poulsen signed the following agreements with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov and Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin in Kyiv. The Danish defense minister's trip to Kyiv took place as part of the run-up to the defense industries forum set to start on Oct.
1. Of the sum announced by Poulsen, 1.3 billion kroner (£200 million) will be provided by the Danish government, while the rest will be provided by Denmark as part of the country's commitments to hand over profits obtained from frozen Russian assets. "It is important that we continue to support Ukraine's freedom struggle in all the ways we can," Poulsen said.
The Danish government has previously allocated 130 million Danish kroner (£19.5 million) to restore Ukraine's energy infrastructure after Russia's mass attacks, according to the Sept.
23 Denmark Energy Ministry's statement. The Danish government also announced a £115 million military aid package for Ukraine on Aug.
19. The Danish government promised to transfer another batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine later this year, Poulsen said earlier this month.
Copenhagen has pledged to deliver 19 aircraft to Ukraine in total but did not disclose how many had already been provided. Poulsen did not name the size of the second batch either "for the sake of operational security."
Ukraine awaits Mirage 2000 jets, in talks about Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has an agreement to receive Dassault Mirage 2000 jets.
According to the minister, Ukraine is in talks to acquire Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters.