Kyiv, 25 October 2023 (TDI): Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv during his official visit to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Danish government led by Prime Minister Frederiksen and the people of Denmark for their unwavering support of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In addition, he specifically thanked Denmark for its generous 12th assistance package and noted that this support would significantly bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities. He also emphasized the critical need for military aid during the ongoing conflict.
He also praised Denmark for its efforts in helping to rebuild the city of Mykolaiv and for supporting Ukraine to join the European Union.
Furthermore, he highlighted their commitment to fulfilling all seven recommendations of the European Commission and expressed the hope that negotiations for accession could start by the end of the year.
The primary focus of the meeting between the two officials revolved around enhancing Ukraine’s air defense capabilities with modern air defense systems and fighter jets.
They discussed cooperation in aviation training including training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft. Denmark and other countries are ready to provide these planes to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy mentioned that the G7 and NATO summit in Vilnius had issued a joint statement of guaranteed support for Ukraine and he also expressed willingness to initiate discussions with Northern European countries about security guarantees.
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Lastly, President Zelenskyy presented the Danish Minister of Defense with a special award, the Order of Merit First Class, and awarded the State Secretary for Security Policy and Operation at the Danish Ministry of Defense, Kasper Hoy-Jensen, the Order of Merit Third Class.
They were also honored for their significant contributions to strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Denmark as well as their important role in assisting Ukraine in protecting its land and independence.
