All Nordic countries have confirmed their readiness to finance the procurement of weapons from Ukrainian manufacturers.
Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin explained that the financing will follow the Danish model.
Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland have all confirmed their willingness to participate.
The issue is that Ukrainian manufacturers have increased their production capacities and are producing weapons that remain in stock and do not reach the Defense Forces due to a lack of state funds for procurement.
"I remember how exactly a year ago, in October 2023, we first realized that we could produce more than we had funds to purchase what we had produced. And we started thinking with the team about how to finance it all," said Herman Smetanin.
Ukraine is capable of producing and implementing more projects that could help the country in the war, but the only pressing issue remains funding.
In 2024, the idea of financing the procurement of weapons from Ukrainian manufacturers was initially proposed by Denmark. By September, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received 18 Bogdana artillery systems, which were funded by the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark's order for heavy weapons produced in Ukraine for the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces marked the first such precedent.
This occurred within the framework of an official agreement between the two countries regarding defense cooperation, which was signed in June of this year.
"And there is also a portfolio of contracts in progress. Now all Nordic countries are joining in," noted the minister.
At the same time, the Swedish government will allocate an additional 63 million euros in military aid to Ukraine.
