On Tuesday, 9 June, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs participated in a meeting of the prime ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB8) in Tallinn (Estonia), emphasising the need to continue and step up support for Ukraine, as Ukraine is currently defending not only its own country but also the security of Europe as a whole. The Prime Minister also reaffirmed Latvia’s support for Ukraine on its path towards NATO and the European Union.
“The courage, resilience and self-sacrifice of Ukraine’s soldiers and citizens deserve our deepest gratitude. In defending their country, they are also defending Europe as a whole. We must not only continue but also increase our military and economic support for Ukraine, helping it withstand the hardships of this war and achieve peace,” emphasised Andris Kulbergs.
The Latvian Prime Minister also drew attention to the need to step up measures against Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’, which not only provides significant revenue for the aggressor state’s economy and for financing its war but also poses growing security and environmental risks in the Baltic Sea region.
The annual meeting of Baltic and Nordic leaders focused on cooperation in the fields of security and defence, the development of the defence industry, support for Ukraine, as well as issues relating to competitiveness and the development of artificial intelligence. The prime ministers of the eight countries also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities, increasing sanctions and pressure on Russia, and ensuring security in the region. The leaders agreed that Europe has much to learn from Ukraine’s experience with unmanned systems and air defence, including by adopting the latest technologies and expertise.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB8) adopted a joint statement and a declaration on enhanced security and defence cooperation between the NB8 countries and Ukraine.
The NB8 cooperation framework brings together Latvia, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden. The NB8 summit concluded with a joint press conference by the prime ministers of the eight countries and the President of Ukraine. A recording of the press conference in English is available on the Estonian Government’s YouTube channel.
Photos from the NB8 summit are available on the Estonian Government’s Flickr account.
