Finnish, Danish PMs for more arms assistance to Ukraine

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen on Monday underscored the need for more arms assistance to Ukraine.

The Prime Ministers met in Copenhagen and discussed various bilateral and international issues, particularly support for Ukraine and the threat posed by Russia, said a government press release.

“Our discussion showed once again how like-minded our countries are. We both underlined the need to provide more weapons to Ukraine and to do so quickly. We both consider it very important to strengthen the European defence industry and speed up the production of ammunition,” Orpo said at a joint press conference with Frederiksen after the meeting.

One of the key themes of the discussions was security in the Baltic Sea region and Nordic defence and security cooperation, including defence industry cooperation.

“The security situation in the Baltic Sea has changed significantly since Russia launched its war of aggression in Ukraine. Cooperation between Finland and Denmark is very important in preparing for different scenarios and strengthening our resilience, especially when it comes to ensuring security of supply and safeguarding critical infrastructure,” Orpo added.

The prime ministers also discussed topical EU issues, such as the programme for the next European Commission and the themes of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will begin in July 2025.

After the bilateral meeting, the prime ministers took part in an event celebrating the reopening of the Embassy of Finland in Copenhagen after two years of renovation.