President Zelenskyy recently met with NATO Chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels, where he called on European countries to provide security guarantees to Ukraine after the end of the war with russia. However, he stressed that US support, under President Trump, is crucial. Zelenskyy called for separate discussions on security guarantees with both the US and Europe. "On the way to NATO, we want security guarantees while we are not in NATO. And we can discuss such guarantees separately with both the US and Europe," he said.
Many of the Western partners reiterated the view that Kyiv should be in as strong a position as possible before any negotiations to end the war. For example, NATO chief Mark Rutte called on Allies to increase military assistance to Ukraine to strengthen its position if Kyiv enters into peace talks with russia. Therefore, international assistance continues to come with new military and financial support. This was reported by Bloomberg.
The Italian Cabinet of Ministers has passed a law that allows for the continuation of supplies of funds, materials and equipment to Ukraine until the end of 2025 to support its military efforts against russia, Reuters reports. Georgia Maloni has been a supporter of Kyiv since taking office in late 2022 and has pledged to support Ukraine until the war ends. Since the start of russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Italy has approved 10 military aid packages for President Zelenskyy's government.
In addition, Reuters notes that the UK will send an additional $286 million in military equipment to Ukraine.
The World Bank said on Wednesday that its executive board approved a $2.05 billion loan to Ukraine under the Development Policy Financing, including the first grant from a new $20 billion loan fund for Kyiv that will be backed by proceeds from frozen russian sovereign assets. This was reported by Reuters.
The new package, which aims to strengthen Ukraine's financial and economic stability, also includes $1.05 billion in World Bank Financing, which is backed by loan guarantees from a trust fund backed by Japan and the United Kingdom.
Reuters also highlights a recent statement by the Finnish Defence Minister that russia and the countries that support it will remain a danger to Europe even after the war in Ukraine ends. We cannot rule out the possibility that they will threaten European countries with the use of military force.
On 20 January, the new administration of Donald Trump will take office in the United States. I really hope that his goal of ending the war with russia quickly is realised in a just peace. However, the only way to stop the war is to use enough force and pressure to make putin realise that he has no chance of winning. To do this, Ukraine needs to be strengthened politically, militarily and economically.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels on Wednesday, December 18, to strategize over Russia's war ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Addressing reporters alongside Rutte, Zelensky called it a "very good opportunity to speak about security guarantees for Ukraine, for today and for tomorrow." The pair were to be joined later in the evening at the NATO's chief's official residence by leaders from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands and the European Union's main institutions.
Italy's cabinet on Monday passed a law decree that allows it to continue supplying until the end of 2025 "means, materials and equipment" to Ukraine to support its war effort against Russia, a government statement said.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Italy has approved 10 packages of military aid for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government, including two Franco-Italian air defence systems known as SAMP/T.
Switzerland adopted the latest EU sanctions package on Russia and Belarus, the government said on Monday. The move came one week after the European Union targeted Moscow's vessels and Chinese entities found to have traded with the Russian military.
The Swiss government listed 54 persons and 30 companies and organisations, freezing their assets as of Dec. 24, and banned 52 ships from providing services.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged European countries on Thursday to provide guarantees to protect Ukraine after the war with Russia ends but said these would not be enough without support from the United States under Donald Trump.
While the fighting triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion goes on with no end in sight, Western and Ukrainian officials have begun discussing post-war scenarios, prompted in part by President-elect Trump's pledge to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion.
Russia and countries that support it will remain a danger to Europe even after the war in Ukraine has ended, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said on Thursday.
Finland, like Ukraine, is a neighbour to Russia, sharing a more than 1,300-km (800-mile) border that is currently closed to all travellers as Helsinki accuses Moscow of funnelling illegal migration to Europe.
Hakkanen, presenting a review of the Nordic country's military, said he saw Russia's increased cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China as a long-term risk.
Britain on Thursday said it would send an additional 225 million pounds ($286 million) of military equipment to Ukraine to help it in the war against Russia. The package comprised of:
- 92 million pounds for equipment to bolster Ukraine’s navy, including small boats, reconnaissance drones, uncrewed surface vessels, loitering munitions and mine countermeasure drones.
- 68 million pounds for air defence equipment including radars, decoy land equipment and counter-drone electronic warfare systems.
The World Bank said on Wednesday its executive board approved $2.05 billion in Development Policy Operation funding for Ukraine that includes the first grant from a new $20 billion U.S. loan fund for Kyiv that is backed by income from frozen Russian sovereign assets.
The new package aimed at boosting Ukraine's financial and economic stability also includes World Bank financing of $1.05 billion that is enhanced with loan guarantees from a trust fund supported by Japan and Britain, the World Bank said in a statement.
President-elect Donald Trump suggested he’s open to meeting Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Trump cited the comment during a speech Sunday as part of his campaign pledge to end the fighting in Ukraine, which he said has claimed “millions” of soldiers’ lives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the possibility of Donald Trump initiating an effort to end Russia’s war, but warned against pushing for a ceasefire agreement that could easily unravel.
“I want very much Trump to help us end this war,” Zelenskiy told reporters in Brussels after a meeting with European Union leaders, even as he challenged mounting speculation about how to bring the nearly three years of fighting to a halt.
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