This Friday, Portugal announced a new support package for Ukraine, including 14 armored personnel carriers and nine howitzers, amounting to 1,125 tons of supplies already sent at a “critical and important moment” of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
This was stated by Defense Minister Elena Carreiras, speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels on the day of the end of the meeting of ministers responsible for organizing the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO).
The minister explained that Portugal “will donate 14 more M113s, which are armored personnel carriers, and nine more howitzers.” [105 mm] in a new support package”, after the “visit of the Minister [ucraniano dos Negócios Estrangeiros] Dmitry Kuleba in Lisbon.
“This is the new package that Portugal is providing to Ukraine, highlighting what we are doing and our continued support to the best of our ability in this effort, which is now even more meaningful given that we are at a critical and important moment. this is due to this counter-offensive, which will take some time, but for which all allies [da NATO] mobilized to support Ukraine in its efforts to counter this illegal invasion of Russia,” said Helena Carreiras.
This support for Kyiv is aimed at “creating the conditions so that one can think about the future of peace and negotiations,” he added.
According to the Minister of Defense, “with this armored vehicle and all other materials – and with this latest package – this will already exceed the 1,125 tons of materials” that Portugal has mobilized for Ukraine.
After announcing in October 2022 that the government would send six Kamov fire fighting helicopters to Ukraine without a license to operate in Portugal because they are Russian-made and one of which is not operational, Helena Carreiras stated that “it is planned this time in preparation for shipping.
The delay was due to “a waiting period during which we waited for Ukraine to signal to us how and when we should act,” the official explained, recalling the death of Ukraine’s interior minister earlier in the year after the fall. helicopter.
A day after the Netherlands-Denmark coalition to train Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots said that the action would begin as soon as possible, and Portugal said it was ready to take part in this training, Helena Carreiras told the Portuguese press. that “the idea is that this will happen in the coming months.”
“By the summer we will have news because the group is meeting and defining the needs and requirements for this formation. There are many details to be defined, but I believe that this is the goal, […] before the end of the year,” the minister specified, noting that it is not yet known “whether it will be in Portugal or in another context.”
The military offensive launched on February 24, 2022 by Russia in Ukraine caused the worst migration crisis in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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