Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in Germany and is participating today in the opening of the meeting of the Contact Group on Providing Defense Assistance to Ukraine, said at the "Ramstein" air base that Donald Trump's arrival at the White House on January 20 opens a "new page" for Europeans who need to cooperate "even more", assuring that he sees this as "a period of opportunity", reported Agence France-Presse.
"It is clear that a new page is opening for Europe and the whole world, in just 11 days, a time during which we will have to cooperate even more, rely even more on each other and achieve even greater results together," Zelensky said at the meeting.
At today's meeting, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced, a few days before Trump's inauguration, new US military aid to Ukraine in the amount of about $500 million (485 million euros), including fighter missiles, equipment to support US F-16s, armored bridge systems and small arms and ammunition.
The weapons are financed through the presidential powers to modify the amount of funds, which means they can be drawn directly from U.S. stockpiles, and the Pentagon is pushing to deliver them to Ukraine before the end of the month, the Associated Press notes.
This latest package leaves about $3.85 billion in funding to secure future arms supplies to Ukraine. If the Biden administration does not announce additional aid, that remainder will be available for President-elect Donald Trump to deploy if he chooses.
"Ukraine's battle affects all of us," said Austin, who chaired his final meeting of the Kiev Partners Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base.
Zelensky and Austin used their final meeting at Ramstein Air Base to urge the incoming Trump administration not to give up on Kiev's fight, warning that ending military support now "will only lead to more aggression, chaos and war."
"We have come such a long way that it would be foolish to give up now and not continue to build on the defensive coalitions that have been created," Zelensky said. "No matter what happens in the world, everyone wants to feel sure that their country will not simply be wiped off the map," the Ukrainian president added.
In his address to Kiev's allies, President Zelensky also said that the potential deployment of a contingent of partners in Ukraine "is one of the best tools" to force Russia to make peace. "Let's be more practical to make this possible," the Ukrainian president said, quoted by Reuters.
Zelensky also said that licensing the production of American air defense systems in Ukraine could be a significant part of ensuring his country's security and was "absolutely feasible".