Ukraine and Romania Agree to Strengthen Air Force Coordination and Defense Cooperation
The Defense Ministers of Ukraine and Romania held a strategic meeting in Kyiv, during which they discussed strengthening cooperation in the field of security and defense, coordination of air forces, exchange of intelligence information, and joint industrial projects.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal met with Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Liviu-Ion Mosteanu. During the talks, the parties discussed current military aid, in particular the 22 packages already provided by Romania and the preparation of the 23rd.
“Romania continues to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots and makes other significant contributions to the formation of our air defense shield. We have agreed to strengthen coordination between our air defense forces,” said Denys Shmyhal.
In addition, the parties discussed the development of industrial cooperation, in particular the production of interceptor drones, FPV drones, and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the possibility of launching joint technology projects under the SAFE mechanism and Romania's participation in the PURL initiative to provide the Ukrainian military with American weapons.
During the meeting, intelligence information on the security situation and Russia's plans was also exchanged, and the delegations jointly analyzed the challenges posed by Russian aggression to Ukraine and Romania.
It is worth recalling that the PURL initiative aims to accelerate the supply of weapons and military systems from the US to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and create conditions for lasting peace.
Based on agreements between the leaders of Ukraine, the US, and NATO, it allows Alliance member states and partners to finance the purchase of American weapons through voluntary contributions.
As The Gaze informed earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that partners have already contributed $1.5 billion to NATO's PURL initiative, through which Ukraine purchases weapons from the United States.