Ukraine can help protect Baltic airspace, says Defense Ministry

He spoke about it during the Via Carpatia 2024 Forum on Espreso TV.

He outlined six strategic lessons for NATO, starting with the need to recruit more personnel. Currently, eight battlegroups are planned for Eastern Europe, with four already deployed in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and Poland. Another four battlegroups are set to be stationed in Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.

Kovalenko suggested that Ukraine could play a role in this process, particularly by sending Ukrainian NCOs and officers to learn from the experience of the Baltic states and Poland in hosting NATO forces. This would include studying the legal frameworks, logistical support systems, and other related processes. Ukraine is actively working on a concept to support countries hosting NATO forces, which would also help prepare the country for potential NATO membership.

According to him, the second valuable lesson for NATO and the EU is the development of remote aerial surveillance. “NATO has decided to deploy AWACS systems in Romania and Poland, and in this context, Ukraine can play an important role in the deployment of these capabilities, which we will receive from our Swedish partners.”

The third lesson concerns airspace control. “I was a Ukrainian officer who studied in Estonia in 2003-2004, where we participated in the Zokniai and Šiauliai exercises. Back then, we explored the possibility of deploying air forces in Lithuania. Currently, the Baltic states are conducting air policing missions in Estonia and Lithuania, and Ukraine could assist by exchanging data with our existing or future fleets, such as the F-16,” Kovalenko explained.

The fourth lesson is about coordinated defense forces, which Kovalenko called one of the most important takeaways from NATO. “NATO is actively developing strategies to defend against missiles and air threats, and we are working on integrating future air defense systems,” he said.

The fifth lesson involves long-range strike capabilities. Kovalenko emphasized that Ukraine not only receives assistance from NATO but can also provide valuable intelligence and platforms to support the use of NATO missiles.

The final lesson is the fight against cyber and information threats. "We are actively cooperating with the Cyber Defence Center in Tallinn and the training center in Riga," Kovalenko concluded.

• On November 12, the Seventh International Forum “Via Carpathia 2024” opened in Kyiv. The event brought together Ukrainian and international experts, scholars, public figures, volunteers, artists, and educators. The forum focuses on culture, defense, energy, and economic cooperation in the fight against Russian aggression.