European allies of Ukraine have announced a fresh military aid package worth $24 billion, underlining their commitment to supporting Kyiv during what they termed “a critical year” in the ongoing war, reports UNB.
The pledges were made during a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where ministers from 50 nations gathered to coordinate further assistance.
The summit marked the group’s 27th session and focused heavily on strengthening Ukraine’s air defences, artillery capacity and drone warfare capabilities, BBC reports.
Germany is contributing over half the total with an almost $12.5 billion commitment spread across four years. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin would deliver a substantial package, including 100,000 artillery shells, 25 infantry fighting vehicles, 15 battle tanks, 100 ground surveillance radars and 120 man-portable air defence systems. Additionally, four IRIS-T air defence systems and 300 associated missiles will be dispatched to Ukraine.
“Ukraine requires robust military capabilities. Only then can negotiations lead to a just and lasting peace,” Pistorius said.
The United Kingdom and Norway also pledged a joint almost $600 million package to fund radar systems, anti-tank mines, vehicle repairs and an estimated hundreds of thousands of drones. This forms part of the UK's wider $6 billion military commitment announced earlier this year.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey emphasized that drones have transformed the battlefield. “In our assessment, 70 to 80 percent of combat casualties are now caused by drones,” he said, adding that Russia had dropped 10,000 glide bombs and launched up to 100 attack drones daily during the first quarter of 2025.
European leaders framed the new aid as vital to countering any reduction in US involvement amid shifting priorities under Donald Trump. While US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth joined the meeting remotely, Pistorius clarified that this was due to scheduling conflicts, not diminished interest.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also joined virtually, while Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was present in Brussels. Umerov expressed gratitude to Europe for “assuming leadership on security assistance”.
Officials stated that despite talk of a ceasefire by former President Trump, there was currently no indication of the war coming to an end.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
