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Occidental agreed on Thursday to continue long-term funding to help Ukrainian troops continue fighting after Russia invaded its neighbour, saying 1.5 billion euros (£1.2 billion) had been pledged so far, with more to come.
The money is used to strengthen the production of armaments, including artillery and ammunition; to develop and strengthen the training of Ukrainian soldiers, and to assist Ukraine in demining.
“All the countries that come to Copenhagen are here to support Ukraine,” Danish Defense Minister Morten Bozkov said at the end of a one-day meeting of 26 countries and the European Union.
Defense Minister Ben Wallace said the meeting proved that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions (the West’s lost will to support Ukraine) “failed”.
“We are still determined,” Mr Wallace said.
The €1.5bn includes contributions from the UK, Denmark and Norway, but “it will grow”, Mr Bodskov said, adding that “some countries need to go home and get parliamentary support”.
“Money alone won’t do, as you said, we need to increase production,” said Mr Bodskov.
He thanked Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic for their “willingness to expand the production of artillery systems, ammunition and other equipment”.
At the meeting, Norway said it would help train Ukrainian troops in Britain. Sweden and Finland earlier said they would do so. Iceland’s foreign minister said Iceland would assist Ukraine’s demining efforts “by training trainers”.
In a live broadcast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more funding from Western countries, saying “the sooner we stop Russia, the sooner we will feel safe.”
“We need weapons and ammunition for defense,” he said.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who was present at the meeting, declined to give details of which weapons Ukraine would receive.
The meeting, co-hosted by Denmark, Britain and Ukraine, follows a meeting at a U.S. Air Force base in Germany in April that established the U.S.-led Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group, which coordinates international military support to Ukraine.
Britain has announced it will send more multiple rocket systems and missiles to Ukraine to help it resist a Russian invasion.
The number of these new weapons, which were not specified, is on top of several rocket-launching systems it supplied to Ukraine earlier this year. Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK to use them.
“Our continued support sends a very clear message that the UK and the international community remain opposed to this illegal war and will stand shoulder to shoulder to provide defensive military assistance to Ukraine to help them fend off Putin’s invasion,” Walley said. Mr. Shi said.
Before the meeting, Denmark said it would give Ukraine an additional 820 million crowns (£92 million), which would bring Denmark’s total donation to more than 3 billion crowns. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “a huge donation”.
Part of the funding will pay for 130 Danish soldiers to help train Ukrainian troops in the UK.
Norwegian Defence Minister Bjorn Arield Gram said Western support for Ukraine remained unwavering.
“Whether Ukraine can defend itself against a Russian attack is decisive,” Mr Arield Gram said.
The Kyiv School of Economics released a report on Wednesday assessing the cost of the war to Ukraine’s infrastructure at more than $110bn (£90bn). The report said 304 bridges and more than 900 health care facilities were destroyed or damaged.
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