Ukraine’s donors set targets at last meeting before Trump presidency

Ukraine’s Western allies pledged to set Kyiv up military aid through 2027.

A US-led meeting of Ukraine's military aid contributors has set production goals to sustain arms donations to Kyiv.

In the last talks of the so-called Ukraine Defence Contact Group before the Trump administration takes over on 20 January, US defence officials said "capability coalitions" had agreed on targets for the production of arms and equipment to be donated to the war-torn country.

Eight such coalitions, led by Kyiv and 14 donor nations, endorsed a series of roadmaps to sustain military aid through 2027.

Those included roadmaps on "air force, armour, artillery, de-mining, drone, integrated air and missile defence, information technology and maritime security needs".

After talks between about 50 allies, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the outgoing Biden administration would deliver $500 million in US military assistance to Kyiv.

European diplomats say it remains unclear to them whether the format will continue under US leadership, as Trump has sent mixed signals about whether he would continue to lead international efforts to support Ukraine.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius urged his counterparts to continue with the Ramstein format and "make every effort for what is still to come".

Pistorius also announced that Berlin would send two Patriot missile units and a total of 200 soldiers to Poland in the coming weeks. They are expected to stay there for six months as part of a NATO mission.

In Ramstein, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his request for more air defence systems and urged Western allies to fulfil previous promises that have so far gone unfulfilled.

He also urged members to continue the group's work even if  - with Donald Trump back in the White House - Washington were to scale back its efforts.

"It would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not keep building on the defence coalitions we've created, especially since they are already helping us grow and strengthen what's basically our shared defence power,” Zelenskyy added.

Europe is entering a "new chapter" of cooperation and would have "new opportunities" with Trump, he added in yet another attempt to appease the incoming president.

EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas also commented on Thursday, saying that "the European Union is also ready to take over this leadership if the United States is not willing to do so."

"I am really sure that all the other members, and hopefully also the United States, are ready to continue with the support to Ukraine," Kallas was quoted by AFP as saying on the sidelines of the talks at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Ukraine's partners needed to help Kyiv reach a position of strength ahead of any eventual ceasefire or peace talks.

"We have to bring Ukraine into the best possible position that one day, when talks would start at the initiative of Ukraine on how to solve this conflict, that they are in the best possible position to do that," Rutte said.