ISTANBUL

The leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries on Wednesday announced to step up military support to Kyiv, after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In a joint statement following talks in the Danish capital Copenhagen, leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) reaffirmed their support for Kyiv’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as war between Russia and Ukraine continues despite US-led efforts for peace.

The statement, published by the Danish prime minister’s Office, reiterated Ukraine’s readiness to negotiate with Russia to end the over three-and-a-half-year-long war, while claiming Moscow “continues to find excuses” to keep the conflict going.

Russia, the readout said, poses a long-term threat to Ukraine’s security, as well as that of the transatlantic community and the “wider international order.”

“We underline the urgent need to accelerate the delivery of weapons, ammunition, and air defence systems. In this regard, we support a newly created PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative to finance high-priority American weapons for Ukraine,” the statement added.

It said no limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s military or on its cooperation with other countries, highlighting their position that “only Ukraine can decide on its own future.”

“A just and lasting peace requires robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine. We are committed to advancing work on a framework of sustainable security guarantees, developed in close cooperation with the United States and our European and other partners,” the statement said, adding that their position is that Moscow should have no veto over Ukraine’s EU and NATO aspirations.

“Russia’s growing cooperation with North Korea and Iran and increasingly close ties, including military, with China impacts not only Russia’s war against Ukraine. It has also broader consequences for global security.

“If we allow Russia to succeed in Ukraine, others may follow the same path of military aggression. This moment demands a stronger collective response,” it added, calling for further sanctions on Moscow.