Latvia's Military Aid to Ukraine Reached 665 Million Euros 0 10

Military assistance is necessary to strengthen Ukraine's ability to fight for freedom, independence, and territorial integrity until victory over the aggressor state Russia and the achievement of a just peace, the ministry noted.

To date, military assistance includes the provision of equipment, training of Ukrainian soldiers, procurement of equipment from the Latvian defense industry, as well as contributions to international funds supporting Ukraine.

Latvia has been providing military support to Ukraine even before the full-scale invasion of Russia, for example, by transferring Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine, which limited the attacks of the Russian airborne troops in the early days of the war in 2022. The National Armed Forces also transferred MI-17 helicopters, several M109 artillery howitzers, a CVRT armored personnel carrier, air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and more to Ukraine.

Latvia also supports Ukraine with products from its local defense industry, including various types of tactical and operational drones.

In addition to military support, Latvia, in cooperation with Canada, is implementing a program to train officers for the Ukrainian armed forces, under which about 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers are trained annually.

Latvia, as well as Lithuania and Estonia, has committed to providing military assistance to Ukraine amounting to at least 0.25% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually starting from 2024. This commitment will remain in place through 2026, the Ministry of Defense emphasized.

Latvia is also participating in a number of international initiatives in support of Ukraine.

On February 14, 2024, an agreement was signed to create a coalition of drones - a joint initiative led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, which has already been joined by 20 countries. Latvia has committed to allocate a total of 45 million euros to the drone coalition in 2024 and 2025.