President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Latvia, Raivis Melnis, who made his first foreign visit in this position specifically to Ukraine. The head of state announced this on Telegram, UNN reports.
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During the negotiations, the parties discussed the implementation of the Drone Deal initiative, which was signed by Ukraine and Latvia this week. According to Zelenskyy, cooperation within this agreement will not only strengthen the production and use of unmanned technologies but also allow for sharing Ukrainian experience in airspace protection with Latvian partners.
Through this format, in particular, we will be able to share expertise in sky protection with Latvia. Ukraine is always ready to help friends who have been with us since the very beginning of Russian aggression
Special attention during the meeting was paid to the financing of joint defense projects within the framework of the European SAFE program. The parties also discussed further interaction within the platforms of the European Union, NATO, and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine and Latvia share a common understanding of security challenges in Europe, which, according to him, arise due to Russia's unwillingness to end the war through diplomatic means.
The President also thanked Latvia and the Latvian people for their consistent support of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war.