President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday asked representatives of some 50 countries to continue military support for Ukraine’s nearly three-year-old war with Russia, saying it would be “madness to drop the ball now.”
“It is clear that a new chapter for Europe and the whole world begins in just 11 days, when we need to cooperate more, trust each other more and achieve greater results together,” Zelensky said. Referring to the January 20 inauguration of US President-elect Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump publicly expressed his doubts about continuing aid to Ukraine after taking office.
“I see this as a time of opportunity and renewal in almost three years of full-scale war,” the Ukrainian president said.
Mr. Zelensky later added: “We’ve come such a long way that it would be, frankly, madness to drop the ball now and not continue to build on the defense coalitions we’ve created.”
He said these thoughts during the opening of the 25th meeting Ukrainian Defense Liaison GroupComposed of at least 53 nations that have met roughly every month since the first weeks of the war and offered financial aid, weapons, ammunition and other military equipment to Kiev for use by and against Russia North Korean occupying forces.
At the conference, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin officially announced a new $500 million military aid package to Ukraine. Ukraine.
The US said the new aid includes air defense missiles, air-to-surface munitions, support equipment for F-16 fighter jets and secure communications equipment.
“All the risks to our security are still great,” Mr. Austin said in his final speech to the group before the change of administrations. “If Putin wins Ukraine, his appetite will increase even more. If autocrats decide that democracies will lose their nerve, surrender their interests, and forget their principles, we will seize more land. “If tyrants learn that aggression pays off, we will only invite more aggression, chaos and war.”
He spoke in the same Officers Club ballroom at Ramstein Air Force Base where the contact group is based met for the first time in April 2022.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, said she hoped the United States would continue strong support for Ukraine under Mr Trump, but said the EU was ready to take a leadership role. is necessary.
The contact group also welcomed its newest member, Cyprus, a long-standing military ally with Russia over President Vladimir V. Putin’s 2022 intervention in Ukraine.
“We’ve been part of this effort for years from the beginning.” Lt. Gen. Georgios TsitsikostasThe commander of the Cyprus National Guard said in an interview before opening the meeting. “From the first moment, Cyprus declared its close position to Ukraine, although it cost us dearly.”
General Tsitsikostas explained that his army has long used Russian equipment and has a good relationship with Moscow, but noted that his country’s support for Kiev, including humanitarian aid and training of Ukrainian soldiers in demining work in Cyprus, has certain ties with Russia. caused conflicts.
The general said that, like many of Russia’s former military customers, the Cypriot army has begun to receive NATO-compliant weapons. US global effort Realign more countries that were previously tied to Moscow by establishing closer ties with the US and NATO. Cyprus is not a member of NATO, but of the European Union.
With possible U.S. support reduced in the second Trump administration, getting more aid from countries like Cyprus is just as important to Mr. Zelensky’s war effort as preserving support from as many countries as possible within the contact group. .
“No matter what’s going on in the world, everyone wants to make sure that their country doesn’t just get wiped off the map,” Mr. Zelensky said. “It depended on a few large capitals, but now it depends on how we work together, how willing we are to own our future and how well we can convince our partners to stand with us.”
“The more determined we are to defend our interests, the more interesting our partners, and especially the United States, will find it to be on our side,” he added.
Cassandra Winograd He prepared a report from Kiev, Ukraine.
