Ukrainian allies promise 21 billion euros in fresh military support for Kyiv

Ukraine’s European allies have promised € 21 billion ($ 24 billion; $ 18 billion in a new military support for Kiev in what they have identified as a “critical year” for the war.

More than half of this – € 11 billion to help for four years – it comes from Germany. British Defense Minister John Heli said the promises would send a strong signal to Moscow.

The announcement came when members of the Ukraine Contact Group met at NATO headquarters in Brussels to occupy air protection, rockets and other facilities, as Europe seeks to fill the gap left by the changed US priorities at Donald Trump.

European defense ministers said they did not see signs of end war, despite Trump’s promise to end fire.

The maintenance, announced on Friday, also includes a package of £ 450 million ($ 590 million) from the United Kingdom and Norway to finance radar systems, anti -tank mines, vehicle repair and hundreds of thousands of drones for Ukraine. Money is part of a British bet of 4.5 billion British pounds made earlier this year.

The air defense was a priority in Brussels. Heli said the Russian forces have downloaded 10,000 Ukraine sliding bombs in the first three months of this year, as well as launch 100 one -way drones per day.

“In our calculations, 70% to 80% of the victims of the battlefield have already been caused and inflicted by drones,” the UK defense minister said.

Meanwhile, the German assistance package has a significant focus on artillery.

Boris Pistorium said Germany will send 100,000 cartridges of artillery ammunition, 25 infantry combat vehicles, 15 war tanks, 100 ground monitoring radars and 120 portable air defense systems.

Berlin will also send four air defense systems to Iris-T with 300 missiles to Kiev.

“Ukraine needs a strong military, and only then can the negotiating process lead to just and lasting peace,” German Defense Minister told reporters in Brussels.

Defense Ministers from 50 countries gathered in Brussels for the 27th UDCG collection.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Heget has joined the meeting remotely, telling the Allies that America appreciates their work.

Pistorian said that heget’s decision was a matter of “schedules”, not “priorities” and that “the most important fact is that he is involved.”

Other leaders have also joined remotely, including Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski.

The Minister of Defense of Kiev Rustm Musrov, who was in Brussels, thanked Europe for “taking on the leading role in security assistance” for his country.

He also said heget’s presence “means the United States continues to help with security and are there for us.”

Heli, Pistorie and Musrov accused Russia of dragging his legs on ending fire.

Heli said it had been more than a month since Russia rejected the US -backed peaceful settlement. Pistorian said Russia was still not interested in peace.

The talks in Europe took place when the US envoy Steve Vikof was traveling to Russia once more to squeeze the Kremlin to accept a truce.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Vitcof will discuss the war in Ukraine, but no “breakthroughs” should be expected.

On the spot in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had taken the village of Juravka at the northern border of Ukraine in sums.

Ukrainian officials are yet to confirm this.

Earlier this week, President Zelenski said 67,000 Russian soldiers were positioned north of the region’s border by preparing for an attack on sums.