Zelenskyy meets Icelandic foreign minister to discuss strengthening air defence and protecting energy infrastructure
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, on his way to Canada.
Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)
Quote: "We discussed Ukraine's preparations for the winter, the protection of our energy sector, and strengthening our air defence. We count on continued cooperation and Iceland's contributions to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. The assistance provided earlier is already yielding concrete results, and we are grateful for that."
Details: In addition, Zelenskyy and Gunnarsdóttir discussed cooperation in the technology and defence sectors. The president stressed that Ukraine was ready to share the experience it has gained with international partners and thanked Iceland for its unwavering solidarity.
Background:
- On 6 September, Zelenskyy announced visits to Norway and Canada to coordinate efforts on anti-ballistic missile defence. He stressed that anti-ballistic capabilities were a weak point in Ukraine's air defence and that the country is therefore aiming to develop its own weapons system.
- On Tuesday 8 September, the Ukrainian president's plane was travelling from Chișinău to Oslo. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre later said that, as the aircraft was departing Moldova, the president's plane had narrowly avoided being hit by a drone.
- On Wednesday 9 September, Zelenskyy and the First Lady attended the funeral of King Harald V of Norway in Oslo. The same day, the president held talks with Støre and arms manufacturers, during which they agreed on steps to launch the joint Freya anti-ballistic missile programme.
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