Finnish Prime Minister Announces New Aid Package for Ukraine
Finland is set to approve a new, 18th aid package for Ukraine.
This announcement was made by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on August 23rd, as reported by Yle.
Orpo reminded that Finland has provided Ukraine with 17 aid packages since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to him, the 18th aid package will be delivered very soon, with the government expected to finalize it by the end of the week.
According to Orpo, this package is of the same magnitude as the previous ones. He emphasized that Finland stands as one of Ukraine's largest donors, considering the size of the country.
"There are items that are truly essential: heavy weaponry and ammunition," commented Orpo on the content of the aid package.
Zelensky expressed gratitude to Finland for the assistance already provided and stated that the new aid package will be genuinely necessary.
Orpo also drew parallels between the current war against Ukraine and Finland's Winter War.
"Finland fought, just as Ukraine is fighting now," noted the Finnish Prime Minister.
Zelensky also raised the possibility of cooperation in the defense sector. Orpo and Zelensky discussed this matter during the meeting, although specific plans have not yet been disclosed.
"We discussed with Zelensky about defense-industry cooperation, and last week we saw the news that a Swedish company signed an agreement with Ukraine," Orpo pointed out.
According to him, Finland is currently considering the potential for future cooperation between Finnish companies and Ukraine.
During the press conference, Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine is highly interested in the production of Finnish armored vehicles within Ukraine. Some Finnish armored vehicles, such as the Patria Pasi, are already in use in Ukraine.
In the autumn, a major meeting of defense industry enterprises will take place in Ukraine, where cooperation with military-industrial complexes from different countries will be discussed.
These objectives extend beyond the current conflict. Ukraine's goal is to build a reliable defense in the long term, preventing any future aggression from Russia.
It's worth noting that on August 19th, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the production and servicing of Swedish CV-90 assault tanks in Ukraine.
At the beginning of the meeting, Kristersson highly praised the Ukrainian people's defense efforts and assured that Sweden's support will continue as long as Ukraine requires it. As of now, Sweden has provided Ukraine with assistance totaling 2.2 billion euros.