Latvia to send all its military helicopters to Ukraine
Latvia, which has already provided Ukraine with military aid worth more than 1% of its GDP, is ready to continue to support Ukraine. It is preparing to complete the delivery of all its helicopters to Ukraine, said Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš at an international Ukraine Recovery Conference in London.
The Prime Minister of Latvia said that back in November-December 2021, it was decided to send Stinger MANPADS to Ukraine, and they were delivered the day before the full-scale invasion. Krišjānis Kariņš believes that they were part of a solution that prevented the Russians from seizing the airports.
"Since then, our government has spent more than 1.3% of our GDP on all types of aid to Ukraine, of which more than 1% went to military needs. So, all our Stinger missiles are now in Ukraine. We have a fleet of helicopters. All these helicopters are now being repainted to be usable and look good. We are sending them to Ukraine," Karins said.
Latvia continues to train Ukrainian soldiers, provide Ukraine with ammunition and drones, as well as humanitarian and financial assistance.
"Because we understand Ukrainians as a nation. Because what are they fighting for? They fight for many things, but you narrow it down to three values: freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. We all talk about these things all the time. We are all freedom supporters. But, friends, Ukrainians are freedom fighters, and we are now the ones who support freedom," the Latvian prime minister said.
Kariņš added that all frozen Russian assets should be used to rebuild Ukraine and stressed the need to bring the Russian leadership to justice for the crimes committed in Ukraine.