Ukraine Allies Pledge $35 Billion in Military Aid

Ukraine's allies have pledged to provide $35 billion in military aid this year, announced British Defence Secretary John Healey following a meeting in Brussels.

The amount includes new and existing commitments, such as the €11.5 billion announced by Germany. "We will increase military aid to Ukraine. We will intensify the pressure on Russia," Healey stated.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Berlin will deliver five new PAC-3 advanced anti-aircraft systems. He urged other countries to send at least thirty such systems.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy grid have caused power and heating outages. Pistorius condemned Russia for using winter "as a weapon against innocent women, children, and men."

Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov commented, "The Russians cannot defeat us on the field, so they are waging war against our critical infrastructure."

Germany and Britain co-chair the Contact Group.