Defence Ministers of Latvia and Ukraine Discuss Formation of 'Drone Coalition'
On Tuesday, December 12, Latvia's Minister of Defence, Andris Spruds, paid a visit to Ukraine. During this visit, he met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, to discuss a range of crucial issues related to strengthening Ukrainian defense capabilities, as reported by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
In particular, Andris Spruds and Rustem Umerov deliberated on the creation of a "drone coalition" to support Ukraine. The Head of the Latvian Ministry of Defence confirmed that his country would continue to support Ukraine and expand cooperation. He explained that the "drone coalition" and the development of technologies for their advancement are essential to contribute to saving military lives and bringing Ukraine closer to overall victory.
"The development of technologies, especially those ensuring the safety of soldiers, is a key focus of our work," stated Andris Spruds.
During the meeting with Andris Spruds, the Ukrainian Minister of Defence expressed gratitude to Latvia for all military assistance and the initiative in creating the "UAV Coalition."
"I would like to express gratitude to the Latvian side for the initiative in creating the UAV Coalition. The development in this area often proves decisive on the battlefield, as the course of this war has shown," said Rustem Umerov during a briefing after negotiations with his Latvian counterpart.
Rustem Umerov also thanked the Latvian people and government for the significant level of support from the Baltic country since the first day of Russian aggression.
"Thanks to the supplies of ammunition, artillery, anti-tank and infantry weapons, UAVs, ATGMs, and many other modern means provided to Ukraine, our soldiers are approaching victory," said the Ukrainian Minister of Defence.
During the meeting, the Defence Ministers of both countries discussed the potential expansion of programs for training Ukrainian military personnel by Latvian instructors, as well as Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic prospects in the context of the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington.
As a reminder, within the framework of the Contact Group on Defence in the "Ramstein" format, Ukraine's allies also agreed to create several other special coalitions to develop military capabilities in Kyiv. Recently, the United Kingdom and Norway announced the formation of the "Maritime Forces and Assets Coalition" within this group, which will be responsible for enhancing Ukraine's naval capabilities.