Ukraine returns from Ramstein meeting with one of largest military aid packages ever
Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov (facebook.com/mykhailofedorov.com.ua)
At the latest Ramstein meeting, new military aid packages for Ukraine totaling around $4 billion were announced, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said during a briefing.
He noted that many partners are ready to increase their support because they see a "window of opportunity" now that Ukraine has managed to "achieve results across multiple domains of warfare."
"Today, likely one of the largest-ever aid packages under the PURL program was announced, totaling $1 billion. A package for long-range artillery was also unveiled today, meaning long-range systems capable of reaching 30+ kilometers," the minister said.
According to Fedorov, the Netherlands alone announced assistance that includes around 700 cruise missiles.
He noted that the final value of the packages is still being calculated. The total support could ultimately exceed $4 billion.
"It could be more. Some countries have opened programs that were announced previously. We are not counting all of those earlier announcements," he said.
Ukraine's key priorities
The Defense Minister said Ukraine currently has three key priorities.
"These are our anti-ballistic program and air defense program. The second priority is long-range artillery. The third is our drones. Ukrainian-made drones that are helping us stop the enemy today, conduct middle-strike operations, and strike targets on enemy territory," Fedorov said.
Germany's assistance
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country would continue supporting Ukraine.
"Air defense remains at the center of our efforts. We have delivered another IRIS-T system to Ukraine. Recently, we have also accelerated the supply of guided IRIS-T SLS and SLM missiles. In addition, we will provide a three-digit number of air-to-air missiles from our own stockpiles," he said.
Pistorius added that Berlin will allocate $200 million for the procurement of additional PAC-3 missiles under the Jumpstart program.
"This means we will co-finance the first tranche of deliveries. We want to lead this process and encourage other partners to join," he said.
The German Defense Minister also announced an additional $200 million contribution to the PURL program.
Meanwhile, UK Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis said London is preparing a major new military aid package for Kyiv, including radar systems, missiles for air defense systems, and domestically produced drones.
Belgium, for its part, said it will deliver seven F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2026. Three of them will be combat aircraft, while the remaining four will be used as donor aircraft for spare parts.
