Ukraine, European partners agree on €90B aid, joint weapons production

​​​​​​​By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a major €90 billion ($97.2 billion) aid package Friday from Denmark and secured new agreements on joint weapons production during high-level meetings at the 2026 Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Zelenskyy confirmed that Denmark, during its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, supported the decision to allocate the funds for 2026-2027 to bolster collective security.

The Ukrainian leader, who arrived in Munich for the three-day forum, also held talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and representatives of the "Berlin format" to prioritize air defense and the protection of energy infrastructure.

- Strengthening air defenses, PURL Initiative

In discussions with Store, the two leaders focused on strengthening Ukraine’s skies through the PURL initiative, which facilitates the purchase of American missiles for air defense systems.

"Protected skies over Ukraine are one of the key factors that will force Russia to end this war," Zelenskyy stated, expressing gratitude for Norway’s continued delivery of NASAMS missiles.

The meetings also addressed the full activation of the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument, a mechanism designed to enhance joint weapons production between Ukraine and its European allies.

Following a Berlin format meeting with multiple partners, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is preparing a comprehensive list of requirements to support energy infrastructure and military capabilities.

- Long-term security guarantees

The diplomatic flurry in Munich included a meeting between Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss the establishment of joint weapons production projects.

"Today, I saw with my own eyes the first Ukrainian-German enterprise for the production of drones," Zelenskyy said, noting that the leaders explored further defense cooperation and the implementation of joint projects aimed at strengthening both nations.

Zelenskyy emphasized the need for "more of our joint production, more of our resilience, more coordination and effectiveness of our shared security architecture in Europe."

Regarding diplomatic efforts, the Ukrainian leader briefed partners on recent meetings involving Ukrainian, American and Russian representatives.

Zelenskyy provided details on the preparation for upcoming negotiations and outlined the key points of the documents currently under development.

The Munich Security Conference, bringing together more than 1,000 participants from over 115 countries, will feature a panel discussion Saturday with Zelenskyy titled, “Coalition of the Able? Securing Long-Term Support for Ukraine.”