(MENAFN) Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal met separately on Monday in Kyiv with his counterparts from Romania, Lithuania, and Canada to expand defense collaboration, focusing on industrial projects, drone production, and long-term military support.

Shmyhal commended Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Liviu-Ionuc Mosteanu for Romania’s continued aid, noting that the country has already delivered 22 military assistance packages to Ukraine and is preparing the 23rd.

“Romania continues to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots and makes other significant contributions to the formation of our air defense shield. We agreed to strengthen coordination between our air defense forces,” he said.

Discussions also covered joint drone production and Romania’s potential role in NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which channels US weapons to Ukrainian forces.

In a separate meeting, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Sakaliene and Shmyhal signed a Letter of Intent for joint defense production. “Together, we are focusing on launching joint production, in particular, on the creation of long-range drones,” Shmyhal said, highlighting Lithuania’s commitment to allocate 0.25% of its GDP to military aid for Ukraine through 2027 as a “strong signal of long-term support.”

Shmyhal also met with Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty to discuss industrial cooperation, praising Canada’s $1 billion military aid package, including drones and ammunition, along with Ottawa’s $500 million contribution to the PURL program.

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