German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced a new package for Ukraine worth €500 million during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Ramstein, Germany.
The meeting came at a precarious time for Ukraine and its allies, as Russia steps up pressure on the front and $60 billion in aid from the United States, a key military donor, remains stalled due to disputes in Congress.
Germany's new package includes 10,000 artillery shells from military stockpiles as well as 100 armored infantry vehicles and 100 logistics vehicles, Pistorius told reporters.
"We also continue to supply spare parts for systems already delivered" and "large quantities" of medical supplies, he noted.
Germany will also finance the purchase of 180,000 artillery shells under a Czech-led initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine, the minister said. The deliveries will be made gradually and will start in the summer of this year, he added.
The German defense minister said he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov during the Ramstein meeting to discuss Kiev's needs, namely ammunition, air defense and armored personnel carriers.
Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin has become Ukraine's second-largest military supplier after the United States. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Germany has provided Ukraine with €17.7 billion in military aid since January.
In February, Germany and Ukraine signed a long-term bilateral agreement under which Berlin pledged to provide Kiev with 7 billion euros worth of military aid in 2024. /BGNES
