Western allies announce new military aid packages for Ukraine at Ramstein meeting

During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Western nations announced significant new military support for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bilateral agreement with Germany focusing on anti-ballistic missile capabilities and called for further support to be delivered by winter. The United Kingdom pledged 150,000 drones and 350 air defense missiles, backed by a 2.26 billion pound loan funded through frozen Russian assets. The Netherlands committed 500 million euros, split between local drone purchases and the procurement of U.S.-made weaponry, bringing its total contribution to the initiative to 1 billion euros. Zelenskyy emphasized the urgent need for long-range artillery and additional financial instruments for long-term military funding. Attendees included U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and representatives from the UK, France, and Ukraine. Additionally, Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a letter of intent to cooperate on defense innovations.