Germany’s defense minister on Thursday pledged a new military aid package for Ukraine worth 1.9 billion euros, as European and NATO officials met in Rome to discuss bolstering the bloc’s defense and security spending amid rising risks of Russian aggression.
Berlin’s pledge will likely bring relief to Kyiv after Washington signaled a reduction in next year’s budget for military aid to Ukraine. Germany is Ukraine’s second-largest backer, and along with other European nations has been under increasing pressure to make up for the Trump administration’s retreat from supporting Ukraine’s military operation.
Russia has stepped up strikes on Ukrainian urban centers in recent days, and despite Washington urging negotiations, both sides seem as far as ever from progress toward a peace deal, analysts said.