Netherlands announces $27 million in aid for Ukraine following Dutch Foreign Minister's visit to Kyiv
Following his visit to Kyiv, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced 27 million euros ($27.8 million) in new aid for Ukraine on Jan. 16.
Following his visit to Kyiv, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced 27 million euros ($27.8 million) in new aid for Ukraine on Jan. 16.
The German government is still discussing a proposed 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion) aid package for Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 14, according to Ukrinform.
Key developments on Jan. 13: * Russia claims to occupy 2 more villages in Ukraine's east; Kyiv hasn't confirmed * Ukraine's special forces claim to repel North Korean assault in Russia's Kursk Oblast, killing 17 soldiers * Ukraine opens doors to foreign firms for military equipment modernization * Germany announces first deliveries of promised
Kyiv and Rome are discussing the possibility of purchasing Italian-made air defense systems and ammunition using profits from immobilized Russian assets, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Jan. 11.
The initiative reportedly included the provision weapons including three additional Iris-T air defense batteries, 10 howitzers, and more artillery ammunition.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings during the summit, which could be the group's last meeting in the current format.
The order for a new batch of rounds of HEI-T ammunition (High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer) was booked in December 2024 and is funded by the German government.
The meeting will be the first since October 2024, when a leader-level summit in Germany was postponed after U.S. President Joe Biden canceled his foreign trips to handle Hurricane Milton.
The aid package was conditional on Hungary implementing reforms to bring the country into compliance with EU standards by the end of 2024. Budapest failed to meet the requirements, a European Commission spokesperson said.
In a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Japan's previous aid to Ukraine, which has totaled $12 billion and "makes it possible to save thousands of lives."
Berlin supplied Ukraine with 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, one short-range and one medium-range IRIS-T air defense system with missiles, two Patriot air defense launchers, and other aid in the latest delivery, the German government said on Dec. 23.
The package is expected to include air defense interceptors and artillery ammunition, one of the sources told Reuters.
The announcement comes amid intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine, including one of the largest aerial strikes on Dec. 13, which targeted energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
At a press conference in Brussels on Dec. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent threats of using the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defense systems in what he called a "high-tech duel" with the West.
According to media reports, the package includes over 92 million pound ($115 million) in equipment to support Ukraine's navy, including small boats as well as reconnaissance drones. A further 39 million pounds ($49 million) will be used to supply over 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems.
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order to supply Ukraine with 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles, the company announced on Dec. 17.
The United Kingdom sanctioned 20 vessels of Russia’s "shadow fleet" and pledged 35 million pounds ($44 million) in aid to repair Ukraine’s energy grid, the British government said on Dec. 17.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), one of Germany’s leading political parties, has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine as part of its platform in the upcoming German parliament elections, European Pravda reported on Dec. 14.
French Ambassador to Ukraine Gael Veyssiere expressed confidence that France's policy of assistance to Ukraine would remain unchanged following the appointment of a new prime minister, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Dec. 12.
"I believe that we have enough funds, enough weapons, missiles, and artillery shells to resist at least during the first half of 2025," Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said.
Ukraine is exhausted. Low on manpower, ammunition, and, most importantly, morale, the country is slowly reckoning with the fact that the ongoing war may be unwinnable on the battlefield — at least for now. According to a Gallup survey published on Nov. 19, 52% of Ukrainians now say they want their
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova announced 25 million euros ($26.5 million) in funding on Dec. 5 for Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations that will advance work related to Ukraine's eventual EU integration.
Polish Deputy Finance Minister Pawel Karbownik said on Dec. 4 that the European Union is prepared to compensate if the U.S. withdraws from a $50 billion multilateral loan agreement for Ukraine.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp emphasized the need for NATO and its allies to address third countries aiding Russia’s war effort. "This demands a more robust and coordinated response from NATO and its Allies," he wrote.
"It is not the place of Joe Biden to make that decision now, we have a newly elected president, and we are going to wait and take the new commander in chief’s direction on all that, so I don’t expect any Ukraine funding to come up now," U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
NATO countries will do all they can to provide Ukraine with air defenses necessary to protect its infrastructure but there is no surplus of such systems, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Dec. 4.
"We must continue to back Ukraine ... To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so that they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their future."
The provision of HAWK, NASAMS, and IRIS-T batteries will help avert blackouts, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said as Ukraine braces for fresh attacks in the third winter of the full-scale war.
NATO's two-day ministerial meeting will focus on providing Ukraine with enough military aid to enable it to enter any possible negotiations from a position of strength, Secretary General Mark Rutte said ahead of the meeting in Brussels on Dec. 3.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized opposition leader Friedrich Merz for proposing that Berlin send Russia an ultimatum about possible deliveries of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
"They speak about mobilization, but the real problem [is] with 10 brigades which our partners didn't equip," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News published on Nov. 29.
In April of this year, Kyiv and Seoul signed an agreement enabling Ukraine to attract up to $2.1 billion in concessional loans over 2024-2029.