By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) – The Danish government signed a memorandum on the purchase of weapons and equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers, becoming the first NATO member to agree to such an investment, media reports said Friday.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen met his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, and the Defense Minister of the Netherlands Kaisa Ollongren, as part of the 23rd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on April 13.
"This is a big step, as Denmark has become the first foreign NATO country that will invest its funds in the production of weapons on Ukrainian territory.
“This proves that the Ukrainian defense industry is ready to cooperate at the international level and is able to meet the highest standards," said Umerov.
The agreement is important because the two countries have also agreed on the procedure for financing, in the hope of speeding up the process, which according to Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister for Strategic Industries, Serhii Boiev, could be implemented as part of similar agreements with other allied countries.
"We are grateful to the Danish government for its consistent support and constructive dialogue that leads to real results," said Boiev, UKRINFORM reported.
A letter of intent was also signed which initiates cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands in support of Kyiv’s defense industrial complex.
"I thank Denmark and the Netherlands for this important support and mutual steps on the way to protect freedom and democracy," said Umerov.
In April, the Danish Defense Ministry pledged a new 2.2 billion kroner ($313 million) military aid package for Ukraine which included 200 million Danish kroner ($28.5 million) aimed for purchases from Ukraine's defense industry.
Ukraine's defense industry has a capacity of around $20 billion, however, the state only has a budget of $6 billion to purchase weapons and equipment, according to an earlier statement by Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin.
Kamyshin suggested that when it comes to producing Ukrainian weapons in 2024, foreign investment of around $10 billion is needed.