President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a series of meetings in Yerevan with the prime ministers of Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. The key topics included defense support, strengthening air defense, energy cooperation and EU integration.
The president said that during talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, he thanked Norway for contributing nearly $1 billion to the PURL program and stressed the importance of its timely funding amid ongoing Russian ballistic attacks.
The sides also discussed strategic partnership, including the Drone Deal format, cooperation in the defense sector and strengthening air defense. Energy support for Ukraine and gas needs for the upcoming winter were also raised.
During a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Zelenskyy welcomed the decision to allocate an additional $300 million in defense support. They discussed priorities in strengthening air defense and the possibility of signing a bilateral agreement in the Drone Deal format.
The leaders also addressed Ukraine’s EU integration, including the opportunity to open negotiation clusters.
In talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the discussion focused on further defense support, contributions to the PURL program and countering Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for the next round of talks in a trilateral format aimed at achieving a just peace.
They also discussed the need for Europe to coordinate efforts in building a joint air defense system and supporting Ukraine’s energy sector.
During a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, the sides discussed bilateral cooperation and further steps toward Ukraine’s EU membership.
Zelenskyy thanked partners for their continued support amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.