Seven Countries Join Latvia-led Drone Coalition to Support Ukraine at Ramstein Meeting
Participants in the Ramstein format of support for Ukraine have joined the Latvian-led drone coalition in support of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
Along with Latvia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark and Germany have signed a letter of intent to participate in the drone coalition. The Ministry expects other countries to join the drone coalition.
The drone coalition's ambition is to provide Ukraine with one million drones.
By signing a protocol of intent, the countries commit to investing resources in drone production, supplying Ukraine with drones and spare parts, as well as testing drones and training troops and implementing other technical solutions.
Latvia will allocate at least €10 million for the development of the drone coalition over the course of the year.
The Ministry of Defence has received information about Ukraine's drone needs and has begun negotiations with local manufacturers on their ability to supply drones and components that meet Ukraine's needs.
"Drone technology has significantly changed the strategy and tactics of warfare.
Unmanned aerial vehicles also play an important role in Ukraine's arsenal of weapons, as they are effective for reconnaissance and destruction of the enemy. The task of the coalition is to implement a targeted and rapid delivery of drones to Ukraine, as well as to develop Latvian and other drone capabilities of allied countries," said Defence Minister Andris Spruds (Progressivie) in a statement to the media.
To recap, Estonia has formed an information technology (IT) coalition to support Ukraine, and Lithuania has formed a coalition for demining.
In early February, the European Union agreed to provide €50 billion in long-term support for Ukraine. However, due to internal political disputes, the United States has not yet reached an agreement on assistance to the country affected by the Russian war.
As The Gaze previously reported, 10 countries of the IT coalition signed a 6-year cooperation agreement. Estonia and Luxembourg have joined as the leading countries, as well as Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. In addition, the United Kingdom completed its accession to the IT Coalition by signing a declaration of intent.