Finnish PM arrives in Kyiv, 18th military aid package to be announced
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Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo arrived in Kyiv on Aug. 23 ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day.
"Finland is a reliable defender of normal life in our Europe and the rules-based international order," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
Orpo said that his country's "support for Ukraine and its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity will continue over the long-term.”
At a joint press conference with Zelensky, Orpo said that his government is preparing to send its 18th defense package to Ukraine and details will be announced this week.
The 17th military aid package from Finland was announced on July 6 and was worth around €105 million ($114 million).
Finland’s overall support to Ukraine is worth over €1.7 billion ($1.84 billion), according to a press release from the Finnish government.
The press release added that "Ukraine is Finland’s largest partner country in development cooperation, and Finland is preparing for the country’s reconstruction."
The prime minister visited housing units in Irpin, which had been built though a Finnish project and provide accommodation to 200 Ukrainians who have lost their homes since the invasion began.
In June, the Finnish parliament voted the center-right politician in as prime minister, replacing Sanna Marin, whose center-left party came third in the country's April general election. Marin visited Kyiv in March 2023.
Orpo joins the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who also arrived in the capital on Aug. 23.
The visits were not announced beforehand for security reasons.
