President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday implored representatives from roughly 50 nations to maintain their military support for Ukraine’s nearly three-year long war with Russia, saying it would “be crazy to drop the ball now.”
“It’s clear that the new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world just 11 days from now, at a time when we have to cooperate even more, rely on one another even more and achieve even greater results together,” Mr. Zelensky said, referring to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump on Jan 20. Mr. Trump has publicly expressed doubt about continuing to assist Ukraine once he takes office.
“I see this as a time of opportunities and renewal in almost three years of full scale war,” the Ukrainian president said.
Mr. Zelensky then added “We’ve come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not to keep building on the defense coalitions we’ve created.”
His comments came during the opening of the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which has met approximately every month since the early weeks of the war and comprises at least 53 nations that have offered financial assistance, arms, ammunition and other military hardware to Kyiv for use against Russian and North Korean invasion forces.
At the conference, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin officially announced a new $500 million military aid package for Ukraine, part of a presidential drawdown authority that the Biden administration, in its final weeks, has been using to maintain the flow of support to Ukraine.
The new aid includes missiles for air defense, air-to-ground munitions, support equipment for F-16 fighter planes, and secure communications equipment, the U.S. said.
“The stakes are still enormous for all of our security,” said Mr. Austin, making his final appearance with this group before the change in administrations. “If Putin swallows Ukraine his appetite will only grow. If autocrats conclude that democracies will lose their nerve, surrender their interests and forget their principles, we will only see more land grabs. If tyrants learn that aggression pays, we will only invite even more aggression, chaos and war.”
He spoke in the same Officers’ Club ballroom on Ramstein Air Base where the contact group first met in April 2022.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, the former prime minister of Estonia, said she hoped that the United States under Mr. Trump would keep up its strong support for Ukraine, but that the E.U. was ready to take over a leadership role if necessary.
The contact group also welcomed its newest member, Cyprus, which broke with Russia — its longtime military benefactor — over President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We have been part of this effort for years, from the beginning,” Lt. Gen. Georgios Tsitsikostas, chief of Cyprus’ National Guard, said in an interview before the meeting opened. “From the very first moment, Cyprus declared its position close to Ukraine, even though that had a cost for us.”
General Tsitsikostas explained that his military has long used Russian equipment and enjoyed good relations with Moscow, but indicated that his country’s support for Kyiv — which has included humanitarian assistance and training Ukrainian soldiers in demining on Cypriot territory — had led to some friction with Russia.
Like many of Russia’s former military clients, Cyprus’ military has begun purchasing NATO-standard arms, the general said, which is part of a global effort by the United States to realign more countries formerly tied to Moscow by establishing closer ties to the U.S. and NATO. Cyprus is a member of the European Union but not of NATO.
With the possible drawing down of support from the United States in a second Trump administration, securing assistance from even more countries like Cyprus is critical for Mr. Zelensky’s war effort just as it is to maintain support from as many countries within the contact group as possible.
“No matter what’s going on in the world, everyone wants to feel sure that their country will not just be erased off the map,” Mr. Zelensky said. “That used to depend on a handful of big capitals, but now it’s on all of us on how we work together, how ready we are to own our future, and how well we can convince our partners to stand with us.”
“The more determination we show in defending our interests, the more interest our partners, and especially the U.S., will see it’s good to stay on our side,” he added.
Cassandra Vinograd contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine.
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