Following talks in Poland Wednesday, Kariņš hopped aboard a train to meet with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal to discuss further necessary support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression and Ukraine's integration efforts in the European Union and NATO. The Prime Minister will also visit Irpin and Bucha during his visit.
Recent days have seen Kariņš championing Ukraine's future membership of both organizations and during the trip he "will express Latvia's strong political support for Ukraine in its Euro-Atlantic integration efforts. The Prime Minister will discuss with Ukrainian officials its progress towards the European Union and the accession process," said a government release.
Reiterated Latvia’s strong support to #Ukraine in a meeting with @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv. Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration is our common goal. Latvia’s political, military and humanitarian support will continue for as long as it takes. Слава Україні! 🇱🇻🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/hPHctGsvCD
— Krišjānis Kariņš (@krisjaniskarins) March 16, 2023
"The Prime Minister's visit is a confirmation of the unwavering support of the Latvian government and society in Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression and hostilities. So far, Latvia has provided support to Ukraine and its nationals in Latvia worth 498 million euros, which is 1.14% of GDP. A week ago, the government decided to send more large-scale military aid to Ukraine and is determined to continue providing all kinds of assistance in its fight against Russian aggression. Participating in the reconstruction of Ukraine, Latvia has earmarked financial resources for the Chernihiv region in the 2023 budget for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure and housing," the release added.