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DENMARK AND UKRAINE

Denmark to open embassy office in Ukrainian city Mykolaiv

Denmark is to increase its diplomatic presence in war-torn Ukraine by opening a new embassy office in southern harbour city Mykolaiv.

Denmark to open embassy office in Ukrainian city Mykolaiv
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Mykolaiv in January 2023. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

The new office is a branch office of the main Danish Embassy to Ukraine in Kyiv, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said to news wire Ritzau.

Dialogue between Denmark and regional and local authorities in Mykolaiv is expected to be strengthened with the addition of the office.

While it will officially open in 2024, the new site will be operational from Thursday this week.

Danish official Franciska Kirkegaard Flugt, who is just 28 years old, will lead the new department in Mykolaiv and will work closely with the Danish Embassy in Kyiv.

“Apart from the practical element, we are now also showing the Ukrainians that we take our role seriously. That this isn’t just something we’re saying. It’s something we’re actually doing,” Flugt said.

“I’m convinced that this is going to make a huge difference,” she said.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen was meanwhile in Kyiv on Monday, where foreign ministers from EU countries were gathered.

“It clearly has strong symbolic value to meet here so we, as a united union, can send the unambiguous message that we support the Ukrainians fully,” Rasmussen said.

Mykolaiv was one of the first cities to be attacked when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

In March last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Denmark to help rebuild the bombarded city in an address to the Danish parliament. Some 230,000 of the pre-war population of 500,000 are still in Mykolaiv, according to Ritzau.

Denmark has since taken on a prominent role in the work, including supply of construction machinery to the city.

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DENMARK AND UKRAINE

Denmark to stop training Ukrainian F-16 pilots

Denmark’s air force will stop training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets after 2024, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Monday.

Denmark to stop training Ukrainian F-16 pilots

Poulsen confirmed the Danish decision at a joint press conference with Norwegian counterpart Bjørn Arild Gram, citing “respect for” the fact that the Danish air force is in the process of switching from using F-16s to F-35 fighter jets, and will be using its Skrydstrup air base, where the Ukrainian pilots are currently trained, for this purpose.

Denmark will still contribute to the training of Ukrainian pilots outside of Denmark, Poulsen also said.

READ ALSO: Denmark boosts Ukraine military aid by 4.4 billion kroner

Ukrainian pilots are currently trained in Romania as well as in Denmark, but no decision has been made as to whether Denmark could contribute in Romania, he said.

Alongside the Netherlands, Denmark has led an international training coalition for Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots.

Denmark has also committed to donating 19 F-16s to Ukraine, with the first four aircraft due to arrive in Ukraine “this summer”, according to earlier reports.

Norway has also pledged a number of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Two Norwegian F-16s are involved in the training at Skrydstrup.

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