Lithuania to allocate €10 million for 'Danish model' implementation in Ukraine

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported this. 

Shmyhal also confirmed that Lithuania is ready to boost defense cooperation with Ukraine, including joint production of drones, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition.

The two countries also agreed to transfer equipment from decommissioned Lithuanian nuclear and thermal power plants.

Shmyhal noted that Lithuania remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner among the Baltic states, with bilateral trade exceeding $1 billion over the first eight months of 2024. Both sides agreed to further develop cooperation in this area.

On Friday, December 20, the Lithuanian government, led by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, arrived in Kyiv for intergovernmental consultations with Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the visit, saying that they discussed issues related to strengthening cooperation between the two countries, including boosting defense capabilities for Ukraine and Europe.

The leaders also addressed Ukraine's EU and NATO membership aspirations, as well as further sanctions against Russia and the confiscation of Russian frozen assets. Shmyhal called on European partners to develop a mechanism that would allow Ukraine to receive not just the profits from frozen Russian assets, but the assets themselves, emphasizing that "the aggressor must pay."

Earlier, both Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys had announced the visit to Kyiv. "The entire Lithuanian government is in Ukraine today to send a clear message - we will stand with Ukraine until victory," said Budrys, adding that the morning in Kyiv began with a Russian missile attack, a stark reminder of the brutal nature of this war.

Paluckas, on his first visit to Kyiv as Prime Minister, described it as an honor and privilege to be in the city. "At Kyiv’s Wall of Remembrance, with my Cabinet of Ministers, I paid my respects to the fallen heroes of Ukraine, men and women who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their country, and by that – for the freedom of Europe," he wrote.

• On the morning of December 20, the Russian army fired missiles at Ukraine. Debris fell in several districts of Kyiv, injuring at least 11 people.