Brussels: Ukraine’s Western allies have pledged an unprecedented €21 billion in additional military support, as leaders accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately stalling negotiations toward a ceasefire. The announcement came during a high-level gathering of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, jointly convened by the United Kingdom and Germany.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that Putin had recently rejected a proposed 30-day cessation of hostilities—an initiative attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Putin said he wanted peace, but he rejected a full ceasefire,” Healey stated. “His forces continue to fire on Ukraine, military and civilian targets alike.”
The Ramstein-format meeting saw participation from over 40 countries. Notably absent, however, was the United States, with Trump’s Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth joining only via video link. Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius downplayed Washington’s absence but acknowledged the bleak prospects for peace.
“Peace appears to be out of reach in the immediate future,” Pistorius remarked. “Ukraine stands at the epicentre of a broader conflict. It is between freedom and oppression, between the recognition of global standards and aggressive imperialism, between democracy and authoritarianism.”
Despite continued diplomatic overtures from the Trump administration, no progress has been achieved in talks with Moscow. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Kirill Dmitriev, a key Kremlin economic adviser, in St Petersburg on Friday, following Dmitriev’s recent visit to Washington. A meeting with President Putin was also reportedly planned, though the Kremlin signaled low expectations, cautioning that no “momentous” outcomes were anticipated.
Russia remains unmoved in its demands: full control over four Ukrainian territories, the removal of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pro-Western administration, a ban on NATO membership for Ukraine, and the complete lifting of international sanctions.
Trump, addressing the situation on Truth Social, issued an unusually strong statement directed at Putin:
“Russia has to get moving. Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – A war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!”
Nevertheless, Trump has yet to implement any substantial measures to pressure the Kremlin. His envoy Witkoff has echoed Russian narratives in media appearances, claiming in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that occupied Ukrainian regions had “voted” to join Russia.
Further comments from U.S. officials have drawn scrutiny. In an interview with The Times, Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, proposed the establishment of a demilitarised zone along the existing frontlines. He also floated the idea of British and French troops assuming control of designated zones in western Ukraine.
“You could almost make it look like what happened with Berlin after World War Two, when you had a Russian zone, a French zone, and a British zone, a US zone,” Kellogg said.
Since Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire last month, Russia has escalated its aerial campaign. A new offensive in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions has resulted in the capture of several border villages, fuelling speculation that Moscow aims to consolidate territorial gains ahead of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur underscored the urgency: “This is why we need to speed up the deliveries as quickly as we can.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing the summit via video, issued a fresh appeal for advanced air defence systems after a Russian ballistic missile struck a playground in Kryvyi Rih—Zelenskyy’s hometown—killing nine children and 11 adults.
“Our priority is air defence. Patriots that remained unused in storage with our partners should be protecting lives,” he said, calling for the urgent deployment of 10 Patriot batteries.
Germany’s Pistorius confirmed his country had already supplied four Patriot systems and was actively pursuing additional units globally. “We will buy anything we can get,” he affirmed.
Germany also committed to supplying four Iris-T air defence systems, 15 Leopard 1 tanks, reconnaissance drones, and 100,000 artillery rounds. Other allies, including the UK and Norway, announced a new $560 million defence package, comprising radar systems, anti-tank mines, and “hundreds of thousands of drones.” The UK’s total support for Ukraine this year now exceeds £4.5 billion.
As discussions evolve, uncertainty remains regarding the composition of a potential “coalition of the willing” to deploy troops to Ukraine post-settlement. EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas noted: “Different member states have different opinions.” Talks are ongoing.
Six nations have reportedly expressed willingness to participate, with the UK, France, and several Baltic states stating readiness to deploy forces in support of peacekeeping efforts. Healey described the planning for a post-war reassurance force as “real, substantial and well-advanced,” indicating it would operate away from the 1,000km-long frontline to reinforce Ukrainian positions.
Sweden, meanwhile, remains cautious. Defence Minister Pål Jonson stated Stockholm is seeking greater clarity: “It’s helpful if there’s a clarity of what that mission would entail, and what do we do – if we are peacekeeping, deterrence or reassurance.”
Despite UK insistence that any such mission requires a US military backstop—particularly air cover—the Trump administration has ruled it out, asserting that Europe must now take full responsibility for Ukraine’s long-term security.
The United States, which originally spearheaded the Ukraine Defence Contact Group following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, formally handed over leadership to the UK and Germany in February.
Hegseth noted that Washington’s current strategic focus lies elsewhere, citing priorities in Asia and along America’s own southern border.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.