BRUSSELS, April 11 (KUNA) -- British Defense Secretary John Healey announced on Friday that Ukraine's European allies have pledged over 21 billion euros in new military aid for Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Healey said the allies had committed to stepping up weapons deliveries to Kyiv.
The British minister also announced that London will provide an additional 450 million pound sterling in support to Ukrainians on the front lines, including thousands of drones.
Healey stressed, "2025 is the critical year for Ukraine. Our job as defense ministers is to put into the hands of the Ukrainian war fighters what they need. We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine's defenses".
He added, "We are sending a signal to Putin, but we are also sending a message to Ukraine, and we say to Ukraine: we stand with you in this fight." For his part, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov expressed his country's gratitude for the European efforts to take "the lead in providing security assistance." He added, "It's a shared responsibility, European partners are taking the lead, and the United States is beside us and focused on peace." It is worth noting that Britain and Germany co-chaired the meeting of Ukraine's supporters - a role previously held by the United States during the presidency of Joe Biden. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participated in the talks via video call.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said: "In the coming weeks, we will see what happens regarding US participation and support. I cannot predict what will happen." He added, "As Europeans, we are taking on more responsibility."(end) arn.ibi