Ukraine may send its drone experts to Latvia.
On May 13, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the summit of the Eastern Flank NATO countries (B9) and Nordic countries in Bucharest, Romania.
During the bilateral meeting, the presidents of Latvia and Ukraine discussed support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, deepening cooperation between Latvia and Ukraine in the defense sector, as well as Ukraine's potential contribution to strengthening Latvia's defense capabilities.
The President emphasized Latvia's unwavering support for Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression, confirming Latvia's readiness to continue military and practical assistance to Ukraine, as well as support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and reform process. At the same time, E. Rinkēvičs noted that Latvia is interested in deepening cooperation with Ukraine in the defense sector, facilitating collaboration between the defense industries of both countries.
"Ukraine's military capabilities and rapidly growing defense industry are important for the security of Latvia and all of Europe. Ukrainian-made weapons and drones have been tested and proven on the battlefield. It is in Latvia's interest to deepen cooperation with Ukraine in the defense sector, learning from Ukraine's experience in developing and integrating the defense industry into the armed forces, as well as establishing cooperation between the defense industries of both countries," said E. Rinkēvičs.
The President particularly emphasized Ukraine's advanced anti-drone capabilities and appreciated Ukraine's readiness to send its experts to Latvia to contribute to strengthening Latvia's defense capabilities. "Due to Russian aggression, Ukraine is purposefully targeting Russian military facilities and the energy sector that finances the Russian war machine. With the increasing intensity of attacks, incidents involving drones are occurring more frequently in Latvia. We assess Ukraine's readiness to send experts to Latvia who would contribute to strengthening Latvia's air defense capabilities. At the same time, we call for finding technical solutions on how to minimize the risks posed by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in cases where control over them is lost due to Russian electronic warfare," stated the head of state.
