The heads of state of Ukraine and the Nordic-Baltic countries, NB8, met in Kyiv on 23 August 2026 and adopted a joint declaration reaffirming continued support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
The meeting took place in connection with Ukraine's national flag day and the 35th anniversary of the country's independence. The joint declaration involves Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden together with Ukraine.
The leaders state that they reaffirm their support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and that they will never recognise any Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory as lawful.
According to the declaration, the NB8 countries will continue to provide Ukraine with political, military, financial, humanitarian and economic support, and will work through international coalitions and mechanisms together with allies and partners.
The countries state that they wish to deepen defence industrial cooperation with Ukraine, including cooperation and co-production between Ukrainian and Nordic-Baltic defence companies. According to the declaration, the parties will build on the cooperation already established, including through the so-called Drone Deal framework, to expand joint production of drones, air defence systems, electronic warfare capabilities, ammunition and other defence technology. In this context, the EU's SAFE programme is mentioned as one of the instruments to be used.
The NB8 countries further state that they will continue their defence support to Ukraine during 2026 and beyond, through bilateral arrangements, multilateral mechanisms and initiatives, including the so-called PURL mechanism.
The declaration also addresses Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy system. The countries state that they will continue to support winter preparations as well as the protection, repair and reconstruction of critical energy infrastructure, and they call on international partners to join these efforts. Furthermore, the countries state that they will work to ensure the necessary air defence capability, including against ballistic missiles.
The declaration also states that the leaders wish to protect Ukraine's port infrastructure and keep transport corridors open, and that further sanctions should be adopted against Russia, including measures targeting Russian energy revenues. According to the declaration, a reconstruction conference for Ukraine is to be held in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2027.