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The Trump administration is trying to convince the Kremlin, sending US special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow...
Peace in Ukraine is "unattainable in the near future," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned on Friday, as allies pledged a record 21 billion euros in aid to Kiev.
Pistorius said that "Russia must understand that Ukraine is able to continue fighting and we will support it," after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group - a format that organizes military assistance to Kiev.
The record pledge of military aid includes the £4.5 billion that the UK has pledged this year, as well as a further €11 billion from Germany.
The summit, held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, was jointly organized by Germany and the UK after the US abandoned leadership of the group following Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Despite this change, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participated online and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov insisted that America was still seen as a "key partner" in the fight against Russia.
But there were broader concerns about the future of the US security role in Europe.
Pistorius stressed the need for the continent to "look at ourselves what we can do" and "take more responsibility as Europeans together with the United Kingdom."
Trump has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine, but Russia has refused to accept a temporary ceasefire, instead continuing to attack Ukraine by launching a larger spring offensive.
The Trump administration is trying to persuade the Kremlin by sending US special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow on Friday, Russian state media reported. It is not yet clear whether he will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Umerov said Trump wants a ceasefire and that he hopes to hear an update on the meeting soon.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey accused Putin of "continuing to drag out and delay negotiations" on the partial ceasefire proposed by the US and agreed to by Ukraine a month ago.
"Putin said he wanted peace, but his forces continue to fire on Ukraine, military and civilian targets alike," Healey added.
The British Defense Secretary also responded to complaints about a lack of clarity over plans to provide security to Ukraine in the event of any ceasefire by another group of allies minus the US - the so-called coalition of the willing - which met in Brussels on Thursday.
"Our planning for the coalition of the willing is really real, substantial, well advanced," Healey said.
On Thursday, Healey told allies that their peacekeeping efforts would focus on providing air and naval support, while maintaining "peace on the ground" with a focus on helping Ukraine's own forces, in a shift from talk of sending ground troops from European countries to police the peace.
The UK earlier gave details of £450 million worth of support for Ukraine, around £350 million of which will be provided by Britain, with additional funding from Norway through the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine.
It includes £160 million to provide repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment that the UK has already provided to Kiev.
Funding for radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones worth more than £250m is also part of the package.
The German defense ministry said the Berlin package included guided missiles, as well as 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 300 reconnaissance drones, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 15 Leopard 1A5 battle tanks, 120 ground-based Manpads air defense systems11.
Germany is also pledging long-term support, including 1,100 additional ground surveillance radars and other IRIS-T air defense systems in the coming years.
"We need a militarily strong Ukraine," Pistorius said. / Adapted from Politico Pamphlet /
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