Estonian parliament speaker visits Kyiv
Lauri Hussar, the speaker of the Riigikogu, Estonia's Parliament, visited Kyiv on March 26 and met with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Lauri Hussar, the speaker of the Riigikogu, Estonia's Parliament, visited Kyiv on March 26 and met with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.
The EU has delivered 500,000 of the promised 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine and aims to deliver the total amount by the end of the year, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in his blog on March 25.
The U.K. has announced a further 60 million pounds ($75.5 million) in military aid for Ukraine that will provide new surveillance drones and air defense systems, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on March 22.
The White House on March 22 condemned Russia’s “brutal strikes overnight against Ukraine’s cities and civilian infrastructure,” after a series of attacks killed at least five people and left almost 1.5 million people without electricity.
This is the third time Czechia has supplied Ukraine with helicopters. Prague sent four Mi-24 helicopters in July 2022 and then sent more in July 2023 without specifying the numbers and models.
During his surprise visit to Kyiv on March 20, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan vowed that the United States would deliver a $60 billion aid package to Ukraine despite its current impasse in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
The Netherlands will procure 150 million euros ($164 million) worth of munitions for Ukraine’s F-16 jets, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced on March 20.
Over the past few days, Germany, Belgium, and Finland announced aid packages for Ukraine totaling over 1 billion euros, a critical boost to Kyiv's military from Europe as the U.S. continues to squabble over and delay a $60 billion package of its own. While the latest assistance pledged is
Kyiv presented its key allies a war plan for 2024 as more military assistance have been announced during the 20th Ramstein-format meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on March 19.
Key developments on March 19: * Germany announces aid package for Ukraine worth $540 million * Anti-Kremlin militia claims fighting ongoing in Belgorod Oblast * Gunvor: Russia has lost 600,000 barrels of daily oil-refining capacity due to drone attacks * Shmyhal: Ukraine hopes to get enough shells by April * Borrell proposes using 90%
The U.S. Defense Department's Office of the Inspector General on March 19 announced that it had launched a website to track U.S. military and other assistance to Ukraine.
Ukraine and Estonia have started work on a draft bilateral security agreement, the Presidential Office said on March 19.
The Czech Republic is trying to deliver ammunition to Ukraine 'as quickly as possible,' Czech Republic President Petr Pavel said on March 18.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has called on the U.S. presidential administration to support Russia's inclusion in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
Key developments on March 17-18: * EU gives final approval to $5.5 billion for military aid to Ukraine * Deputy minister: Russia fires 7 times more shells than Ukraine * US Senator Graham in Kyiv: 'If you want aid to Ukraine, you'd better start talking to American taxpayers' * Ukrainian government allocating $128
At a press conference in Kyiv, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said 70% of Republicans in the Senate understand the need for aid for Ukraine, adding that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is not to be stopped now, there will be "a war between Russia and NATO." Yet, he added that as political leaders, they need to address their own people, too.
The ammunition suppliers taking part in the Czech-led initiative to provide Ukraine with artillery shells include "some allies of Russia," the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing unnamed Czech officials.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X on March 16 that he held a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the potential unblocking of aid for Ukraine that has been stuck in Congress since autumn 2023.
Key developments on March 14: * Syrskyi: Ukraine begins rotation of troops who have been fighting 'for a long time' * Russian reconnaissance troops forced to retreat after failed attempt to cross Dnipro, Ukraine says * Russia claims fighting in Kursk, Belgorod oblasts amid ongoing anti-Kremlin militia raid * Military: Russian troops intensify attacks
After months of delays, 100 Bulgarian armored personnel carriers are on their way to Ukraine by rail, Bulgaria's Defense Minister Todor Tagarev confirmed on March 14.
Of the 687 lawmakers who participated in the vote, 494 voted against the delivery, with 188 voting in favor and five abstaining.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson addressed Republican senators at their annual retreat on March 13, where he floated the idea that the long-obstructed Ukraine aid package could be made into a loan or lend-lease program for the benefit of U.S. taxpayers, the Hill reported on March 14.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is in talks to invest in defense companies amid heightened urgency to scale up Europe's defense industry, Bloomberg reported on March 13.
U.S. House of Representatives Democrats began collecting signatures on March 12 to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson and force a vote on a Ukraine aid bill via a discharge petition, Reuters reported.
The next Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will be held on March 19 at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the U.S. Air Force in Europe's press service told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Estonia plans to sign a bilateral agreement on security guarantees under the Group of Seven (G7) Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on March 8 during the joint press conference in Vilnius.
Czech National Security Advisor Tomas Pojar argued Czech President Petr Pavel’s statement about finishing the funds' allocation for purchasing 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, Czech outlet Denik reported on March 8.
Ukraine’s allies have nearly raised the required funding to buy 800,000 artillery shells through a Czech-led allied initiative, Bloomberg reported on March 6, citing a government official familiar with the matter.
An Estonian arms dealer sold laser target markers destined for the Ukrainian military at an inflated price, allegedly making millions of euros at the expense of the German taxpayers, according to an investigation by Estonian newspaper Ekspress and German newspaper Die Welt published on March 5.
The newly published list of 50 items includes 30 Caesar self-propelled artillery systems, 38 AMX10 armored fighting vehicles, 250 VAB armored vehicles in various modifications, 160 drones, and 10 drone-detecting systems.
Key developments on March 1: * Rutte signs Dutch-Ukrainian long-term security agreement in Kharkiv * Military: Ukraine partially retakes ground near Avdiivka while Russia pushes toward Chasiv Yar * Defense Ministry: Ukraine downs 13 Russian aircraft in February * Russian proxy says air defense active in occupied Crimea amid reported explosions * WSJ: Russia's peace
France will order 100 drones from the French company Delair that will arrive in Ukraine this summer, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu announced on Feb. 29.