Norway and the United Kingdom are launching a military maritime coalition to help Ukraine build up its coastal and naval defense.
”It is incredibly important that Ukraine gains better control over its coast,” says Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.
He was in London on Monday to present the collaboration, together with his British counterpart Grant Shapps. The coalition is called the Maritime Capability Coalition (MCC).
”Russia is using the Black Sea as a launching point for missile attacks against the Ukrainian mainland. And open sea routes are incredibly important for Ukraine’s economy as well as the ability to export grain,” says Gram.
As a first result of the collaboration, the United Kingdom is sending two mine-clearing ships of the Sandown class to the Black Sea to help ”save lives at sea and open up crucial export routes,” announced Grant Shapps.
So far, Norway has trained Ukrainian soldiers in certain maritime operations, an effort that will continue. The MCC’s task will primarily be to coordinate support from individual countries.
”By working in such a coalition, we can think more long-term and coordinate the support,” says Gram.
