Slovenia discusses with Ukraine the possibilities of cooperation in the defense industry
Copenhagen – Slovenian Defense Minister Borut Sajovic spoke at an informal meeting in Copenhagen about the possibilities of cooperation with Ukraine in the field of defense industry. As stated by the Slovenian Ministry of Defense, discussions on this are already underway.
As stated by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas after the meeting, one of the options for how the EU could contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine after a potential peace agreement with Moscow is investing in the Ukrainian defense industry. She urged member states to increase investments in the Ukrainian defense industry, which could also open its production lines in EU countries. Denmark was cited as an example.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen explained at a joint press conference with Kallas that this year they expect to invest around 1.4 billion euros in the Ukrainian defense industry, after investing about 600 million last year. They are also planning the possibility of establishing production lines for Ukrainian defense companies in Denmark. He predicted that weapons could start being produced as early as this year.
Regarding the possibilities of cooperation with Ukraine in the field of defense industry – discussions between Ljubljana and Kyiv are already ongoing – Slovenian Defense Minister Sajovic also spoke at the meeting in Copenhagen. As noted by the Ministry of Defense, he emphasized that strengthening such cooperation is important not only for ensuring Ukraine’s long-term self-defense capability but also brings significant benefits to all member states.
On the agenda of the meeting was also the implementation of the plan for the rearmament of Europe, aimed at strengthening the defense capabilities of member states. Sajovic stated that Slovenia is exploring cooperation options with other member states in accordance with national priorities, the ministry reported. (August 29)
