Ukraine, together with the Nordic and Baltic countries, is launching a large-scale military initiative - Shmyhal

Ukraine, together with nine Scandinavian and Baltic countries, is launching the Scandinavian-Baltic Initiative for the training and equipping of Ukrainian military personnel. The program provides for the training of units by instructors from partner countries, the supply of weapons, training in Poland, and the strengthening of defense cooperation, writes UNN with reference to the statement of Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal.

On the sidelines of the 31st UDCG meeting, together with Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik, a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding was signed. In total, Ukraine and nine Nordic and Baltic countries will join the initiative: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden. The goal of this agreement is to create a joint structure to support Ukraine through the training and equipping of Ukrainian military personnel within the framework of the international operation "Legio".

The initiative provides for:

• training of Ukrainian military personnel by instructors from partner countries;
• equipping various Ukrainian units with weapons in volumes equivalent to the size of a brigade;
• training in Poland;
• strengthening Ukraine's partnership with Scandinavian and Baltic countries in the field of security and defense.

Finally, Shmyhal thanked the Nordic and Baltic countries for their consistent, strong support.

Earlier, UNN wrote that Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal called on partners to invest 0.25% of GDP in Ukraine's defense to cover $60 billion of the $120 billion needed for military purposes. An alternative is a loan secured by frozen Russian assets to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine.