Defense ministers from five major European nations gathered Monday in the German capital, Berlin, to reinforce military support for Ukraine and address concerns about potential shifts in US foreign policy in Donald Trump’s upcoming second presidency, reported Turkiye’s Anadolu Agency. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, the report continues, told reporters that Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Poland are determined to assume more responsibility for Europe and will continue their military support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also joined part of the meeting via video link, Pistorius said, adding that they had discussed the latest developments on the front line and Ukraine’s military needs. He underlined that the five defense chiefs had agreed to maintain the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) format in order to continue facilitating coordination between NATO allies and Ukraine. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said that European allies will continue providing arms and training to Ukrainian soldiers, and that France, together with Italy, will provide new weapon systems, including Mistral missiles, to Ukraine.
Lecornu also said that French President Macron is planning a conference in February to “think about what we can do differently in the future,” including how Europe can increase the production of weapons systems and getting those close to the front lines.
