Western allies to meet, Ukraine urges support

THE United States will host a meeting in Germany on Friday to discuss further support for Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed Western allies to send more fighter jets and long-range missiles.

Representatives from around 50 countries will gather at the US Ramstein Air Base to coordinate their backing for Kyiv, as battles with Russia rage in the east of the country.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who will attend the meeting, was in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday—his first visit since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky took the opportunity to press NATO to invite Kyiv to join the alliance and ramp up military support for Ukraine’s army.

The Ukrainian president asked for NATO’s help to “overcome the reluctance” of some member states in providing long-range rockets, modern fighter jets and armoured vehicles.

NATO members have sent some Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine, but no modern planes such as the US-designed F-16 have been pledged despite Ukraine’s requests.

Ukraine’s Western supporters have also been reluctant to send long- range rockets because of concerns that Ukraine could use them to hit targets within Russia.

Air defence

On the visit, Stoltenberg said the meeting in Ramstein would focus on the delivery of more weapons to Ukraine, while stressing the importance of supplying more munitions and enhancing maintenance operations to support Kyiv.

Earlier in the week, Ukraine said it had received the first shipment of Patriots, seen as one of the most advanced US air defence systems.

Germany likewise delivered a Patriot battery to Ukraine as well as a promised Iris-T anti-air missile system.

The kit has been one of Kyiv’s key asks from Western allies as it looks to defend itself from Russian missile attacks and roll back Moscow’s invasion.