Portugal announced on Thursday a new support package for Ukraine, with 14 armored personnel carriers and nine howitzers, totaling 1,125 tons of material already sent, at a “critical and important moment” of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The announcement was made by Defense Minister Helena Carreiras, in statements to Portuguese journalists in Brussels on the day the meeting of ministers responsible for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ends.
The minister explained that Portugal “will donate another 14 M113, which are armored personnel carriers, and nine more howitzers [105 mm] in a new package of support”, after the “visit of the Minister [ucraniano dos Negócios Estrangeiros] Dmytro Kuleba to Lisbon”.
“This is a new package that Portugal makes available to Ukraine, highlighting what we have been doing and our permanent support to the best of our ability in this effort, which is now even more significant, given that we are at a critical and important moment. .that has to do with this counter-offensive that will take some time, but for which all the Allies [da NATO] They are mobilized to support Ukraine in its effort to confront this illegal invasion by Russia”, highlighted Helena Carreiras.
This support for kyiv is aimed at “building the conditions so that it is possible to think about a future of peace and negotiations,” he added.
According to the Defense Minister, “between these armored vehicles and all the rest of the material – and counting on this last package – the 1,125 tons of material will already be exceeded” that Portugal has mobilized for Ukraine.
After announcing, in October 2022, that the Government would send the six Kamov firefighting helicopters to Ukraine, without a license to operate in Portugal because it is of Russian origin and one of which is inoperative, Helena Carreiras said that “it is planning this time in preparation for shipping”.
The delay was due to “a waiting period in which we expected Ukraine to tell us how and when to proceed,” the official explained, recalling the death of the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Administration early the year after the fall. from a helicopter.
One day after the coalition formed by the Netherlands and Denmark to train Ukrainian pilots in F-16 fighters said that this action would start as soon as possible, and Portugal said that it was available to participate in this training, Helena Carreiras told the Portuguese press. that “the idea is that it be in the coming months”.
“By the summer we will have news because the group is meeting and is defining the needs and requirements for this training. There are many details to define, but I think that’s the goal, […] until the end of the year”, specified the minister, who pointed out that it is not yet known if “it will be in Portugal or in another context”.
The military offensive launched on February 24, 2022 by Russia in Ukraine caused the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: TSF
