Ukraine to receive billions in military aid after Ramstein summit
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed on June 15 that a number of countries have pledged new military aid packages to Ukraine at the 13th Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels.
According to Austin, these countries include the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Norway, and Italy.
Canada is to deliver its "largest tranche of military aid" to Ukraine, committing 500 million Canadian dollars ($371 million) of defense funding, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said.
In terms of equipment, Ottawa will provide 10,000 105mm artillery rounds and 288 AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles, as well as small arms ammunition, maintenance assistance for Leopard 2 tanks, and training for Ukrainian soldiers, pilots, and technicians.
Anand informed that Ottawa prepared 200 Senator armored vehicles for Ukraine, out of which 116 have been delivered and 18 more will arrive in the coming days.
The governments of the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, and the Netherlands have pledged to provide hundreds of air defense missiles, along with other pieces of necessary air defense equipment.
The Kyiv Independent news deskAustin added that Denmark announced a separate military aid package of its own worth $2.6 billion to be delivered through 2024 without specifying its content.
In a Danish Defense Ministry press release from June 15, the government informed it wants to set aside as much as 21.9 billion Danish crowns ($3.2 billion) for its Ukraine Fund in the coming years.
Earlier today, Copenhagen announced that it will supply Ukraine with 10,500 artillery shells in joint efforts with Norway.
Italy has reportedly announced a new tranche of aid including "highly critical capabilities that meet Ukraine's most urgent needs to defend itself," while Norway and Germany have pledged multi-year aid packages.
The UDCG, comprising around 50 nations, meets regularly in the so-called Ramstein-format summits to coordinate support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
In his opening remarks for the ongoing 13th summit, Austin promised to deliver "urgent capabilities" Ukraine needs to defend against Russia.
