The deal was signed between the presidents of Ukraine and Latvia on Thursday.
Ukraine and Latvia have signed a 10-year deal under which Riga will provide defence aid equivalent to 0.25 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to Kiev. The security agreement was signed between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Latvian President of Edgars Rinkevics on Thursday. A release posted on Ukraine President’s website said that as part of the deal, Latvia will provide Ukraine with military support of about 112 million euros (USD 120 million). The deal will help Ukraine with recovery and reconstruction, protection of critical infrastructure and demining.
“Latvia also made a 10-year commitment to assist Ukraine with cyber defence, demining, and unmanned technologies, as well as support for Ukraine’s EU and NATO accession,” Mr Zelensky said on X.
The commitment to give Ukraine 0.25 per cent of its GDP will continue for three years – from 2024 to 2026 – as per Latvia. This amount will be used for military training and supplies of equipment and weapons across land, air, sea and cyber-electromagnetic domains.
Both the countries “are aware of the inalienable right of states to individual and collective self-defence, and they consider illegal any attempt to change borders by force. The Participants see Ukraine’s security as an integral part of the Euro-Atlantic and global security”, said the text of the deal.
Ukraine has bilateral security treaties with nine countries: Great Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, and now Latvia.
The latest deal is signed to implement the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia in February 2022. In total, 32 states have joined it, as per Ukraine’s presidential website.