The IT-coalition for cyber protection of Ukraine held its first meeting and decided on priority purchases

The steering group of the IT coalition held its first meeting and determined the next steps and priority purchases.

This is reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by Estonia and Luxembourg as countries — leaders of the initiative. Representatives of Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the USA and Japan were also present. Representatives of NATO and the EU also joined.

"The last NATO summit in Vilnius gave a clear signal that the future of Ukraine lies in the Alliance. Leading the IT coalition and supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine to achieve NATO compliance is one of the ways Estonia can help Ukraine on its way to joining the Alliance," noted Estoniaʼs Deputy Minister of Defense for Policy Planning Tuuli Duneton.

The purpose of the Steering Group meeting was to determine the priorities of the IT coalition, its next steps and, in general, how the coalition can support the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense, as Duneton said.

Estonia, Luxembourg, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands also confirmed their contributions to the coalition at the meeting, totaling more than €30 million. The countries assured that they will continue to cooperate in the direction of digital transformation of Ukraine.

"Our experience of applying innovations on the battlefield is unique, and we believe that the IT coalition can become a platform for interaction with partners in the development and testing of technologies," said Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Transformation Kateryna Chernogorenko.

The Minister of Defense of Luxembourg Yuriko Backes called on the countries to join the IT coalition.

"The efforts of the IT coalition are very important for the Armed Forces. A secure and efficient military information and communication infrastructure is the basis for timely decision-making and, therefore, a necessary condition for successful operations," Bakes said.

• The IT coalition is a special group of states within the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine ("Ramstein" format) under the leadership of Estonia and Luxembourg, which have already made their contributions (Estonia contributed €500 000 and Luxembourg €10 million). Lithuania and Latvia also provided Ukraine with assistance in the form of licenses and equipment.
• The purpose of the IT-coalition is to support the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces in the field of IT, communication and cyber security. Participants of the initiative are Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Japan and Ukraine itself. The Netherlands also joined the coalition on January 27 and made its first contribution of €10 million.
• The Artillery Coalition to Strengthen the Ukrainian Army started working in Paris in January. During 2024, France plans to produce 78 Caesar self-propelled guns for Ukraine (financed in parts by France, Ukraine and allies).
• Also last month, Ukraine and Latvia founded the Coalition of Drones and EW. Sweden and Great Britain have already joined it.
• In November 2023, the Coalition for the Development of Air Defense was created at Ramstein — Germany and France became its leaders. The coalition included 20 countries.
• There is also the Fighter Coalition, the Tank Coalition, the Coalition for Strengthening the Security of the Black Sea, and the Coalition of Opportunities for the Long-Term Defense of Ukraine and the Deterrence of Russian Aggression for Decades.