When Donald Trump shortly occupies the White House, a new chapter will begin, where there will be an even greater need for international cooperation.
This is what the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said after he met with representatives from around 50 allied countries at the Ramstein base in southwestern Germany on Thursday.
– It is clear that a new chapter begins for Europe and the whole world in just 11 days. A time when we must cooperate even more, trust each other even more and together achieve even greater results, says Zelenskyj.
He adds that he sees it as “a time of opportunity”.
The Ramstein meeting was attended, among others, by the outgoing US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. He announced that the US is sending a military aid package of 500 million dollars – 3.6 billion kroner – to Ukraine.
It is just the latest in a long series of aid packages that the US has sent to Ukraine during the nearly three-year war.
Under President Joe Biden, the United States has been Ukraine’s biggest supporter. The Americans have sent weapons, military equipment and other support to Ukraine for a total of 65 billion dollars – 470 billion kroner.
Trump has criticized the US’s extensive support for Ukraine and has promised that he will see to it that the war is quickly ended once he becomes president.
However, he has not presented any concrete plans for how this can be done.
At the meeting at the Ramstein base, which is a US air base, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said she hopes the US will continue to support Ukraine – also under Trump’s leadership.
– I am sure that all other members, and hopefully also the United States, are prepared to continue supporting Ukraine.
– It is not in the interests of the United States if Russia becomes the world’s strongest power, said Kaja Kallas.
So far, the United States has led the meetings under Ramstein’s auspices, but it is unknown whether this will continue when Trump becomes president.
Otherwise, the EU is ready to take the lead, assured Kaja Kallas.
Denmark’s defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen (V), also participated in the meeting for Ukraine’s allies at the Ramstein base.
/ritzau/AFP
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
