'Today we will pledge billions' for Ukraine — allies begin Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels
The 27th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels on April 11 will gather representatives of some 40 countries, including the U.S., German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told journalists.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky would join the meeting, co-chaired by Germany and the U.K., through a video link, Pistorius added.
The Ramstein-format meeting comes at a pivotal time for the pro-Ukraine coalition. The U.S. has signaled reduced commitment to Europe's and Ukraine's security, and European parties scramble to shore up support for Kyiv as it faces Russian aggression.
Sitting with Pistorius and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey reminded that the previous summit in February saw the allies commit almost $2 billion in aid.
"Today we will pledge billions more", Healey told journalists at the start of the summit.
The U.K. and Norway have already committed an additional 450 million pounds ($585 million) in military support, while Germany pledged four new IRIS-T air defenses, armored vehicles, missiles, shells, and other support.
"Our priority is air defense, and it is very important that our partners hear us," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"Our partners can help with this and also speed up the implementation of all agreements reached earlier. Patriots that remain unused in storage with our partners should be protecting lives."
The UDCG was launched by former U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2022, delivering some $126 billion in military support to Ukraine from roughly 50 countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump's accession to office in January brought a major shift in the U.S.'s foreign policy. The new administration has yet to approve any new aid package for Kyiv and instead seeks to broker a peace agreement with Russia.
The 26th Ramstein format meeting on Feb. 12, the first summit since Trump took office, was also the first UDCG meeting not chaired by the U.S. defense secretary as Hegseth passed the role to his British counterpart Healey.
Chris York
