Ukraine and 12 European countries unite in a new defense cooperation format.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced the beginning of a collaboration with 12 countries within the Nordic Group-Ukraine framework, which will strengthen Ukraine’s security and provide support. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and the UK have joined the cooperative.

Umerov stated that investment in the Ukrainian defense industry is a separate priority. More countries are joining to finance Ukrainian weapon production, particularly Sweden, Norway, and Lithuania within the framework of the Danish model.

Norway has allocated NRK 500M ($45M) to finance the production of weapons and military equipment by Ukrainian enterprises for the Armed Forces.

The Canadian government submitted a budget document to the House of Commons containing a request to allocate about $587M for Ukrainian military aid. The document also includes about $307M for financial assistance and $35M for demining and strengthening Ukraine’s cyber security.

Also, the Hungarian government ordered the deployment of air defense systems near the Ukrainian border due to fears of an escalation in the war.