Foreign Minister Ankin Hoytveldt (AP) is in the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Friday, where she will meet, among others, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, according to TV2.
the channel He writes that Huitfeldt is in the port city traveling with the Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers. The city is located in southern Ukraine on the Black Sea coast.
“We’re doing this to show Ukraine and the rest of the world that the Nordic countries and the Baltic states are united in our strong support for Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression,” says Huitfeldt in press release.
The visit comes after Russia launched a major missile attack on Ukraine on Friday night.
In the city of Uman, a residential building was hit, and many were killed.
– It just shows what is happening in this country, and that we must not forget about Ukraine, Huitfeldt tells TV 2.
F-16 request
This is Huitfeldt’s third visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February last year. Kuleba used the opportunity to once again ask Ukraine’s allies to supply the country with F-16 fighter jets.
– We must drop Russia from the sky. We need F-16s from our allies, Kuleba said. He also told TV 2 that Ukraine expects Norway to take part.
Dmytro Kuleba told the channel that we understand that this is an American technology and that this should start with the grace of the United States, but I have no doubt that it will happen.
counterattack
Moreover, Kuleba says that the next meeting of ministers will be in the occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Friday that the Ukrainians are practically ready for an expected counterattack against Russian forces.
Kuleba tells TV 2 that he does not know when the attack will come, and that it is up to the military leadership.
– He said that my job is to get as much weapons and military materials as possible so that our battalions are best equipped.
On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine has now received 98 percent of the combat vehicles and tanks it was promised from its allies.