Latvia has allocated around EUR 500 million for military assistance to Ukraine over 3 years

RIGA - Over the past three years, Latvia has allocated around half a billion euros for military assistance to Ukraine, Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives) told reporters on Monday.

Looking back at Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Spruds said that support to Ukraine, including strategical, military and financial, is critical. Latvia has set a clear example by providing this support and will continue to do so, the minister said.

"As for the military sphere, in the past three years, we have invested around half a billion euros in supporting Ukraine in our common struggle," the minister said.

Last year, Latvia's military assistance to Ukraine reached 0.25 percent of Latvia's GDP. Both this and next year Latvia will continue its course and support Ukraine by providing military aid of at least 0.25 percent of GDP, Spruds said. This year, this support will amount to around EUR 110 million, much of which will come from Latvia's defense industry.

Spruds also noted that Latvia will deliver 42 Latvian-made Patria armored personnel carriers to Ukraine this year. Training of Ukrainian soldiers will continue as well. At the same time, a lot of emphasis is being placed on supplying Ukraine with drones, the minister said.

As reported, Latvia has so far sent unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, howitzers, weapons and personal equipment, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, Stinger air defense systems, radars, food rations, information technology equipment, ground vehicles, fuel and other armaments to Ukraine.

On February 14, 2024, an agreement was signed on the establishment of an international drone coalition. The coalition is initiated by Latvia and co-led with the UK.

The total support of all drone coalition members to Ukraine's drone capabilities amounted to EUR 1.8 billion in 2024. Latvia committed EUR 20 million to the drone coalition in 2024 and plans to commit the same amount this year. Latvia delivered nearly 5,000 drones to Ukraine last year.

With the support of the Defense Ministry and the National Armed Forces, a wide range of humanitarian aid is regularly delivered to Ukraine and collected with the support of the "Entrepreneurs for Peace" Foundation.