Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called on Western backers to speed up deliveries of air defense systems and boost weapons production amid ongoing Russian missile strikes. The U.S. Defense Secretary was absent from a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, marking the first time a Pentagon chief has missed since the forum’s creation three years ago.
Zelenskyy emphasized the need for effective air defense systems like the Patriot system, citing Russia’s missile strikes as a major threat. The U.S., Germany, and the UK are among countries committed to supporting Ukraine, with the UK planning a tenfold increase in drone production to aid the country.
Ukraine’s backers have collectively provided over $126 billion in military assistance since the contact group was formed, including more than $66.5 billion from the U.S. European NATO allies are concerned that the US might withdraw troops from Europe to focus on the Indo-Pacific, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning that abandoning Ukraine could erode US credibility in deterring conflict with China over Taiwan.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-weapons-ammunition-udcg-hegseth-nato-3323b6a9378d6e52fe8c90531de37837