Conflict, defence, Defense, News

Europe takes over support of Ukraine

Posted by Europe correspondent on

Brussels 11.04.2025 Today the European countries pledged to continue supporting Ukraine with billions in funding to keep resisting Russia’s invasion amid growing doubts about the President’s Putin true intentions. During the meeting in NATO HQ in Brussels with Ukraine Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov,
the UK Defence Secretary John Healey has announced the next tranche of military support to Kyiv, while the UK and Germany hosted a congregation of 50 nations.

Defence officials convened to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and convince him to end his invasion of Ukraine on Kiev terms, enforcing the military to create a “peace through strength” effect. The UK Defence Secretary John Healey used this opportunity to announce the following tranche of aid to Ukraine amounting to £450M.

“We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine’s defences,” he added.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

This amount constitutes a package for funding of hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tanks mines and and repairs to military vehicles. About £350m will be provided by the UK, with extra funding from Norway via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine. The package includes £160m to provide repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment the UK has already provided to Ukraine. A “close fight” military aid package, with funding for radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones, worth more than £250m is also part of the package, the government said. In January, the UK pledged £4.5bn in military aid to Ukraine is the highest contribution of aid to Ukraine this year. The £450M announced today is part of that £4.5bn amount.

“We will ensure that Ukraine continues to benefit from our joint military support. Russia needs to understand that Ukraine is able to go on fighting, and we will support it … Ukraine can count on us,” Pistorius said. “Given Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, we must concede that peace in Ukraine appears to be out of reach in the immediate future…Russia needs to understand that Ukraine is able to go on fighting, and we will support it,” he added. Germany offered a package included four IRIS-T air defence systems with 300 missiles.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Pistorius made the comments at a meeting at the same Ukraine Defense Contact Group which he co-chaired alongside his British counterpart, John Healey.

Concluding the press event in Brussels the Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov thanked NATO partners for “one of the largest assistance packages that we are getting.”

“Today, as John announced, we have heard the pledges of €21 billion in Europe, and we are thankful to each nation that has provided this support,” said.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Underlining the urgency of securing more air defense systems, Umerov added: “Integrated air and missile defense is a challenge in a world where Russia strikes daily with hundreds of missiles, cruise, ballistic, hypersonic, and kamikaze drones.”
“We are working with our partners to find additional Patriot systems, additional new systems” Minister Umerov said.

Nowadays the Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine, and President Zelensky has endorsed a U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Russia declined to follow the suit, and started to impose conditions, concerning the Europeans security architecture, and NATO enlargement policies. In response the European governments have accused Putin of sabotage of the peace prospect.
11.04.2025 Anna van Densky from NATO HQ, Brussels

Unknown's avatar

Published by Europe correspondent

journalist

Leave a comment