Nordic and Baltic countries launch joint initiative to train and arm Ukrainian soldiers under Norway’s lead
Nordic and Baltic countries have formally launched a joint initiative to train and equip Ukrainian soldiers as part of a broader international effort coordinated under Operation Legio, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported.
This comes amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, following the monthly meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which coordinated additional military aid for Ukraine. The signing took place on the sidelines of the 31st UDCG meeting.
Shmyhal: Ukraine and nine northern European countries launch joint initiative to train and equip troops
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced late on 15 October that Ukraine, together with nine northern and Baltic countries, is launching a Scandinavian-Baltic initiative focused on the training and equipping of Ukrainian soldiers. He and Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik formalized the memorandum of understanding.
According to Shmyhal, the initiative will include joint efforts between Ukraine and Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.
"This marks an important step in the cooperation between Allies to support Ukraine's defense capabilities. Ukraine needs to strengthen its army with both education and equipment. Through this cooperation, we are contributing to just that," said Sandvik.
The agreement aims to create a shared structure for supporting Ukraine by training its military personnel and equipping its units. The program includes training conducted by instructors from partner countries, the delivery of weapons and equipment in volumes equivalent to a brigade, and training activities taking place on Polish territory.
“This initiative strengthens our partnership in security and defense with the Nordic and Baltic countries,” Shmyhal stated.
Earlier pledges and infrastructure projects support current initiative
As Militarnyi noted, in February the Presidents of Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden had announced plans to provide training and equipment for a Ukrainian brigade.
In September that engineering units from Norway’s Nord brigade began building a new training facility in eastern Poland. The facility is intended for Ukrainian troops and is being constructed as part of a broader effort coordinated with Scandinavian and Baltic countries as well as Poland.
