Latvia proposes to create coalition of drones to aid Ukraine

Latvia has proposed creating a coalition of drones to strengthen the Ukrainian military, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has said following a meeting with his Latvian counterpart Andris Sprūds.

The Latvian minister initiated the creation of a coalition of drones and confirmed that the state is ready to continue and deepen cooperation and look for new partners.

"The development of technologies, in particular those that protect the lives of soldiers, is a key area of our work," said the minister.

The Drone Coalition and relevant development technologies are important to advance in saving the lives of the military and bringing Ukraine's victory closer.

The parties also discussed Latvian instructors' potential expansion of training programs for the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian and Latvian ministers also discussed Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic prospects in the context of the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington.

"Ukraine is a key ally of Latvia. Ukraine is fighting for its freedom, but also for the freedom of all of us," said Andris Sprūds.

Latvia is a steadfast and unwavering supporter of Ukraine's full membership in NATO and the EU: "We believe in what was said in Vilnius (at the last NATO summit): "Ukraine should be the 33rd member of NATO as soon as possible."

Rustem Umerov thanked the Latvian people and the Latvian government for the enormous level of support since the first day of Russian aggression.

"Thanks to the ammunition, artillery, anti-tank and small arms, UAVs, ATGMs and many other modern means transferred to Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers are bringing our victory closer," Umerov said.

Previously, the Ukrainian DM promised to allocate additional resources to purchase drones, so the Ukrainian forces will receive several times more drones in December than last month.