Defense ministers from five countries – Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Italy – will hold their next meeting in March in Paris.
This was announced by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Pistorius noted that he initiated the meeting of the five largest European countries' defense ministers immediately after the U.S. presidential elections in November, aiming to discuss future spending on European security and enhancing support for Ukraine.
"That's exactly what we discussed (at the meeting in Warsaw, editor's note) and, of course, made the first decisions. We will work until March, when the next meeting will take place in Paris, on how to improve joint capabilities in Ukraine, how to strengthen cooperation between those European countries working with Ukraine, how to learn from the best examples in small working groups, to determine what needs to be done next to support Ukraine with what it needs," said the German defense minister.
The German government has prepared everything necessary for additional assistance to Ukraine worth 3 billion euros, but internal negotiations regarding the funding are still ongoing.
"As for the 3 billion aid package, we have prepared everything that is needed, but we are still in negotiations within the government because the issue of funding remains unresolved, as there is still no budget. This is purely a fiscal issue within the government. We are working on it, and I remain optimistic that we will find a solution," said Pistorius.
He emphasized that some democratic parties in Germany have shown a willingness to take steps in this direction.
The minister also assured that regardless of which government leads Germany after the elections on February 23, Germany's support for Ukraine will remain "reliable, steadfast, committed, and energetic."
"There is no doubt about this," the defense minister stressed.
Commenting on his visit to Kyiv, Pistorius mentioned that he had arrived to discuss closer cooperation between industries, increasing joint ventures, and direct procurement in Ukraine's defense industry with the support of European funds.
