In this agreement signed in Lisbon, in São Bento, between the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, which has a ten-year horizon, it is also highlighted that "Portugal will contribute with additional military support for Ukraine, including that to be agreed upon within the framework of the European Union, NATO and other relevant international fora".

"Since 2022, Portugal has comprehensively supported Ukraine, bilaterally and through the European Union and NATO, by providing lethal and non-lethal military equipment, including Leopard 2A6 battle tanks, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, M113 armoured personnel carriers, M577 armoured medical evacuation and rescue vehicles, and other military equipment. Portugal is also part of the F-16 Coalition, the International Maritime Capabilities Coalition, and the joint procurement programmes for large calibre ammunition led by the Czech Republic and the European Defence Agency", the document states.

Portugal and Ukraine, "with other partners", commit to working together "to ensure that Ukraine's security and defence forces are capable of restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders since 1991, as well as to contribute to its modernisation, in order to increase its capacity to respond to any possible armed aggression and its interoperability with NATO forces", it is added.

Right in the preamble of the bilateral agreement, in a more political chapter, the two countries "vehemently condemn the illegal, unprovoked, unjustified and brutal war of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which constitutes a threat to international peace and security and a flagrant violation of International Law, including the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris".

"Portugal steadfastly supports the freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders in 1991, including the territorial sea, and recognises Ukraine's inherent right to self-defence, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations", the text emphasises.

With regard to forms of cooperation, this agreement provides for "structural support for the reform of the defence sector, including support for defence governance and policies to support the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine; training of Ukrainian security and defence forces, nationally and within the European framework, including train-the-trainer programmes; and support to address hybrid threats, including cyber defence and resilience initiatives".

Portugal will also provide "assistance to the Ukrainian medical support system, for the treatment and rehabilitation of defence force personnel; support for the development of Ukraine's security and defence forces, including through the improvement of interoperability with NATO standards; and military equipment, including through industrial cooperation, armament, equipment and defence goods in the land, air, sea, cyber and space domains, giving priority to Ukraine's main capability needs".

In this commitment, "Portugal will continue to provide military support to Ukraine on a bilateral basis and through multilateral instruments, including through NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine (CAP), the European Union's Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF) under the European Peace Facility (EPF) and other capability coalitions".

"Portugal, together with its international partners, will continue to participate and engage actively in international formats, such as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), to closely coordinate international military support to Ukraine", it is added.

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