“ZBROYARI: Manufacturing Freedom attracted over $1.5 billion to Ukraine's defense industry from foreign partners in 2024,” said the minister.According to Smetanin, nine countries—Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and the United States—as well as the European Union, participated in the initiative. The contributions were made either from national budgets or through a percentage of frozen Russian assets. The minister specified that more than $500 million was allocated using the Danish model. The Danish model for Ukraine, initiated in 2023, is a strategic defense cooperation framework that enables partner countries to purchase weapons directly from Ukraine's defense industry. This system aims to enhance Ukraine's domestic arms manufacturing capabilities while providing timely military support amid Russia's war. Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said that in 2024, the country’s military received weaponry worth nearly €538 million through Danish model agreements. In 2024, the funding sources for Ukraine’s defense industry included €125 million from Denmark through its national Ukraine Fund, €20 million from Sweden, €2.7 million from Iceland, and €390 million from interest on frozen Russian assets.
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