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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin utilized their last gathering Thursday to property nan incoming Trump management not to springiness up connected Kyiv’s fight, pinch Austin informing that to cease subject support now “will only induce much aggression, chaos and war.”
“We’ve travel specified a agelong measurement that it would honestly beryllium crazy to driblet nan shot now and not support building connected nan defense coalitions we’ve created,” Zelenskyy said. “No matter what’s going connected successful nan world, everyone wants to consciousness judge that their state will not conscionable beryllium erased disconnected nan map.”
President-elect Donald Trump’s pronouncements astir pushing for a speedy extremity to nan war, his kinship pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin and uncertainty complete whether he will support further subject assistance to Ukraine person triggered interest among allies.
The Biden management has worked to supply Ukraine pinch arsenic overmuch subject support arsenic it can, including approving a new $500 million package of weapons and relaxing restrictions connected rocket strikes into Russia, pinch nan purpose of putting Ukraine successful nan strongest position imaginable for immoderate early negotiations to extremity nan war.
Austin doubled down connected Zelenskyy’s appeal, saying “no responsible leader will fto Putin person his way.”
DANIEL ROLAND via Getty Images
And while Austin acknowledged he has nary thought what Trump will do, he said nan world leaders gathered Thursday astatine Ramstein Air Base talked astir nan request to proceed nan mission.
The leaders were attending a gathering of nan Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a consortium of astir 50 partner nations that Austin brought together months aft Russia invaded Ukraine successful February 2022 to coordinate weapons support.
“I’m leaving this interaction group not pinch a farewell but pinch a challenge. The conjugation to support Ukraine must not flinch. It must not falter. And it must not fail,” Austin said during his last property conference. “Ukraine’s endurance is connected nan line. But truthful is each of our security.”
Some discussed what they would do if nan U.S. backed distant from its support for Kyiv, if nan interaction group would presume a caller style nether 1 of its awesome European contributors, specified arsenic Germany. Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his state and respective different European nations are discussing options.
Austin said nan continuation of nan group is essential, calling it “the arsenal of Ukrainian democracy” and “the astir consequential world conjugation successful much than 30 years.”
President Joe Biden was to person his last face-to-face gathering pinch Zelenskyy successful nan coming days successful Rome, but he canceled nan trip because of nan devastating fires successful California.
Pistorius said he intends to recreation to nan U.S. soon aft Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration to meet his caller counterpart to talk nan issue.
“It’s clear a caller section starts for Europe and nan full world conscionable 11 days from now,” and it will require moreover much cooperation, Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine has launched a second violative successful Russia’s Kursk region and is facing a barrage of long-range missiles and ongoing advances from Russia arsenic some sides activity to put themselves successful nan strongest negotiating position imaginable earlier Trump takes office.
Zelenskyy called nan Kursk violative “one of our biggest wins,” which has costs Russia and North Korea, which sent soldiers to thief Russia, thousands of troops. Zelenskyy said nan violative resulted successful North Korea suffering 4,000 casualties, but U.S. estimates put nan number little astatine astir 1,200.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will proceed to request aerial defense systems and munitions to take sides against Russia’s rocket attacks.
The latest U.S. assistance package includes missiles for aerial defense and for combatant jets, sustainment instrumentality for F-16s, armored bridging systems and mini arms and ammunition.
The weapons are funded done statesmanlike drawdown authority, meaning they tin beryllium pulled straight from U.S. stockpiles, and nan Pentagon is pushing to get them into Ukraine earlier nan extremity of nan month.
Unless location is different assistance package approved, nan Biden management will time off astir $3.85 cardinal successful congressionally authorized backing for immoderate early arms shipments to Ukraine. It will beryllium up to Trump to determine whether aliases not to walk it.
“If Putin swallows Ukraine, his appetite will only grow,” Austin told nan interaction group leaders. “If tyrants study that aggression pays, we will only induce moreover much aggression, chaos, and war.”
In nan months since Trump’s predetermination victory, Europeans person grappled pinch what that alteration will mean successful position of their conflict to support Russia from further advancing, and whether nan post-World War II Western confederation will hold.
In caller days, Trump has threatened to take Greenland, which is portion of nan Kingdom of Denmark — a NATO personnel — by subject intends if necessary. Such action would upend each norms of nan historical NATO confederation and perchance require members to travel to nan defense of Denmark.
Austin declined to remark connected Trump’s threat, but Pistorius called it “diplomatically astonishing.”
“Alliances are alliances, to enactment alliances. Regardless of who is governing countries,” Pistorius said. “I’m rather optimistic that remarks for illustration that won’t really power U.S. authorities aft nan 20th of January.”
Globally, countries including nan U.S. person ramped up weapons accumulation arsenic nan Ukraine warfare exposed that each of those stockpiles were woefully unprepared for a awesome accepted onshore war.
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The U.S. has provided about $66 cardinal of nan full assistance since February 2022 and has been capable to present astir of that full — betwixt 80% and 90% — already to Ukraine.
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