Ukraine, Denmark start negotiations on security guarantee agreement
Ukraine and Denmark have started negotiations on a bilateral security guarantee agreement, Ukraine's President's Office announced on Feb. 8.
The Group of Seven (G7) countries and several other partners have pledged to provide security guarantees to Ukraine via bilateral treaties. The U.K. was first to finalize such a deal during U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's visit to Kyiv on Jan. 12.
Both France and Germany are reportedly set to sign their respective security agreements with Ukraine in the coming weeks.
The Ukrainian delegation leading the negotiations is headed by the deputy head of the President's Office, Ihor Zhovka, while State Secretary for Foreign Policy Lisbet Zilmer-Johns heads the Danish delegation.
The announcement follows the recent visit to Ukraine by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Jan. 26.
According to the Danish Foreign Ministry, Copenhagen has allocated 4.3 billion euros ($4.6 billion) in military aid to Ukraine and nearly 408 million euros ($439 million) in humanitarian and other assistance since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Denmark and the Netherlands were among the first countries to promise F-16 jets to Ukraine. The two countries established a "fighter jet coalition" in July 2023 to provide international expertise and training to Ukrainian pilots and technical staff.
In mid-August 2023, Denmark pledged to give Ukraine 19 F-16s, with the first batch of six aircraft expected to be delivered in spring 2024, and the rest by 2025.
Danish and Dutch officials have said the delivery schedule depends on the readiness of Ukraine's infrastructure and pilots, among other factors.
Read also: ‘We can’t wait for peace:’ Reluctant at first, Denmark takes on rebuilding war-torn Mykolaiv Oblast
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