Defense Correspondent
Getty ImagesUkraine’s European Allies Have pledged € 21bn (£ 18.2bn) in a New Tranche of Military Support for What They Described As “A Critical Year” for The War.
Members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Met Nato’s headquarters in Brussels to Pledge Air Defences, Missiles and Other Gear As Europe Sought to the Gap Left by The Changed Priority Of The Us Under Donald Trump.
Boris Pistorius, The German Defense Secretary, Said Berlin Would Send € 11bn in Aid Over Four Years. John Healey, His British Counterpart, Said The Pledgeges Would Send A Strong Signal to Moscow.
Europe’s Defense Ministers Said You Saw No Sign Of An End To The War, Despite Trump’s Promise of A Ceasefire.
Support Announced Friday Includes a £ 450m package from The UK and Norway to Fund Radar Systems, Anti-Tank Mines, Vehicle Repairs and Hundreds of Thousands of Thousands.
In January, The UK pledged in Military Aid to Ukraine – which Healey described As the Highest Contribution of Aid to Ukraine This Year. The £ 450m announced on Friday Is Part of That Original Figure.
Air Defense Was A Priority at The Meeting. Healey Said Russian Forces Had Dropped 10,000 glide bombs on the first Three months, as well, as a launching 100 One-way Attack drones a day.
At this Stage In The War, Battlefield Casualties Both Inflicted by Drones “Way Outnumber Those Artillery”, The UK Secretary Said.
“In Our Calculations, 70% to 80% of Battlefield Casualties Are now caused and inflicted by drones,” He added.
Defense Ministers From 50 Nations Gathered in Brussels for The 27th Gathering of the Udcg.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Joined The Meeting Remotely, Telling Allies That America Appreciated All The Work “You guys” Are Doing.
Pistorius Said It Hegseth’s Decision was a Matter of “Schedules” Rather Than “Priorities”, and That The “Most Important Fact Was That He Part”.
Other Leaders Also Joined The Meeting Remotely, Including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kyiv’s Defense Ministry Rustem Umerov, Who Was In Brussels, Thanked Europe for “Taking Over The Lead on Securance Assistance” for His Country.
He also Acknowled That Hegseth’s Attendance “Means That The US is continuing Its Secure Assistance and Is Beside Us”.
The Three European Defense – Healey, Pistorius and Umerov – All Accused Dragging IT Feet Over a Ceasefire, With The Uk’s Healey Pointing Out Than A Month Semce rejected a US-Backed Peace Settlement.
Pistorius Noted That Russia Was Still Not Interested in Peace.
Talks in Europe Took Place as US Steve Witkoff Travelled to Russia, Once More, Press The Kremlin to Accept A Truce.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Said Putin And Witkoff Would the Ukraine War, But One Should Do Any “Breakthroughs”.
On The Ground in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Thursday That Utts Forces Had Captured The Village of Zhuravka, in Ukraine’s Northern Border Region of Sumy.
Ukrainian Officials Are Yet to Confirm This.
Earlier This Week, President Zelensky Said As 67,000 Russian Soldiers Were Positioned North of the Sumy Region, in Preparation on the City of Sumy.
