Ukraine's Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, held a video conference with the defense ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
The meeting focused on strengthening military support for Ukraine, tailoring assistance to urgent needs, and developing strategic defense partnerships.
"Support from allies will become faster and more effective. Ukraine's defenders must be equipped with everything necessary to end Russian aggression," emphasized Rustem Umerov.
The Ukrainian Defense Minister provided a detailed update on the Defense Forces' needs and outlined priorities for aid. He highlighted the importance of partner initiatives to equip Ukrainian brigades and battalions. As an example of successful cooperation, Umerov cited France’s efforts in preparing a Ukrainian brigade and equipping it with armored vehicles.
Another critical area of support is bolstering air defense systems ahead of the winter season.
"The enemy continues its attempts to destroy our critical infrastructure, so we need more air defense systems and ammunition for them," Umerov noted.
The supply of artillery shells is also among the key priorities. The minister thanked partners for providing one million artillery rounds and emphasized the need to increase supplies to achieve parity with the enemy.
Ukraine and its allies are actively working to enhance the capacity of Ukraine's defense industry. Umerov proposed that allied countries transfer technologies and establish strategic partnerships with Ukraine's domestic industry.
Promising areas for collaboration include:
- Production of 155-mm ammunition;
- Localization of air defense and missile production;
- Localization of heavy armored vehicles and artillery systems production;
- Development of defense technologies, including autonomous systems, electronic warfare (EW), and radar systems.
Additionally, the parties agreed to audit military aid provided to Ukraine from 2022 to 2024. "We need to identify which support models worked best and scale them up," Umerov stated.
The Defense Minister also emphasized Ukraine’s openness to new initiatives to swiftly address the Armed Forces' needs in 2025:
"We must act boldly and in unison. Only then can we achieve a just and lasting peace in Europe."
