President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo, who arrived in our country.
According to the Head of State, this is the first visit of Petteri Orpo to Ukraine as Prime Minister of Finland, and it is not only symbolic, but also very meaningful.
"Mr. Prime Minister, I thank you for Finland's constant practical assistance to Ukraine: military, humanitarian, and sanctions. For the solidarity of your country in the fight for our freedom and independence," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, addressing Petteri Orpo during a joint meeting with media representatives following the negotiations in Kyiv.
The President also noted that Petteri Orpo will take part in the third summit of the Crimea Platform, which confirms that Finland will continue to be a reliable defender of normal life in Europe and Ukraine.
During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the Prime Minister of Finland about the situation on the battlefield. The parties discussed defense and security cooperation between Ukraine and Finland.
"Today, the Prime Minister informed me that in the coming days a new, 18th package of defense support will be approved. We really need all this," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The parties discussed the priority positions for Ukraine that will be reflected in the next assistance packages.
"I am confident that together we can do very useful things in the defense industry. For the autumn, we are preparing the first Defense Industries Forum here in Ukraine, so that our partners can see the capabilities of our country, our society, and how we are developing our capabilities. So that we can attract additional potential of our partners. Together, we will give more security to the world. I am confident that Finland's participation in the Forum will be productive, and we are interested in establishing direct cooperation between our specialized enterprises," the President emphasized.
According to him, Finland also substantially supports global efforts to implement the Peace Formula, and today the Prime Minister assured of his country's readiness to act as a co-leader in the implementation of a number of its points.
Finland also supports Ukraine on its path to the European Union and NATO.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited the Republic of Finland to start negotiations on a bilateral document on security guarantees for Ukraine.
"Finland has already joined the G7 declaration, and now it is time for such bilateral work. I am confident that it will also be concrete and productive," the Head of State said.
For his part, Petteri Orpo emphasized that Finland stands in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. The Republic of Finland is one of the largest donors and is preparing to provide the 18th package of defense support, which will include munitions and weapons. The Republic of Finland supports Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO and is ready to contribute to the post-war reconstruction of our country.
