Latvia plans to provide military support to Ukraine in the amount of 0.25% of GDP for the next three years / Article

The informative report states that in 2024, 0.25% of GDP will reach approximately 112 million euros. Funding for this purpose will be found from the budget of the Ministry of Defense.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the agreement between Latvia and Ukraine on long-term support and security commitments is planned to be signed on April 11 during the Three Seas Initiative summit in Vilnius. It will be signed by the Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs. The agreement will be a political, non-legally binding document.

Latvia intends to sign such an agreement in order to send a “clear and firm signal of support to Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor”.

It envisages all kinds of long-term assistance for Ukraine’s defense against aggression, as well as Latvia’s support for Ukraine on its way to membership in the European Union and NATO.

According to the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine plans to sign this type of bilateral agreement with all the G7 joint declarations in support of Ukraine’s partner countries, as well as with the European Union.

Such agreements have already been concluded with Great Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands and Germany. Lithuania and Estonia will also sign such agreements in the near future.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that the government must decide on support for the signing of the agreement, as it affects Latvia’s comprehensive support measures for Ukraine, both in the military and non-military fields, the implementation of which is politically binding for the ministries for the duration of the agreement – ten years.

The agreement stipulates that any budget commitments from the Latvian side will be ensured only with the clear approval of the Latvian government and, when necessary, the Saeima.

The informative report states that the most important elements of the agreement’s military support are Latvia’s continued participation in the Ramstein Ukraine Defense Contact Group in order to provide coordinated military support to Ukraine with its allies. Latvia’s leadership in the Drone Coalition with the aim of providing Ukraine with millions of drones, military equipment and armaments.

Areas of non-military support cover development cooperation, cooperation in the reconstruction of Chernihiv region and cooperation in digital, energy and cyber security, as well as prevention of hybrid threats. The agreement also provides for Ukraine’s support for Latvia’s candidacy in the UN Security Council elections in 2025.

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