Ukraine, Estonia, Luxembourg launch IT Coalition

The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The kick-off meeting of the new coalition was held within the framework of the 15th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format.

“The goal of the IT Coalition is to deliver a secure and resilient IT infrastructure for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Defense Forces, which enables Ukraine to be more efficient and effective on the battlefield. We are grateful to Estonia and Luxembourg for their leadership in driving this initiative forward. I would also like to thank Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, and Latvia for joining us in this endeavour and to Luxembourg for already announcing the first pledge to the IT Coalition,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

A total of 20 countries participated in the kick-off event. Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania and Latvia have already joined the initiative by signing a Declaration of Intent together with Ukraine, Estonia and Luxembourg, according to the ministry.

A reminder that the intent to establish this initiative was first announced during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) on June 15, 2023. The IT Coalition is a dedicated group of Donor Nations, led by Estonia and Luxembourg under the UDCG framework and focused on delivering support to Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the area of IT, communications, and cyber security.

The key objective of the IT Coalition is to establish a single combat control and defense resources management digital ecosystem for the Defense Forces that will ensure better coordination and more effective engagement of the Defense Forces, as well as the use of capabilities provided by international partners.