Germany Pledges 1-B Euro Military Package For Ukraine

Germany will provide Ukraine with a 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) military assistance package, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at the Ramstein-8 summit, Ukrinform reported.

Photo Insert: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made the statement at the Ramstein-8 summit.

Finland will also ship 400-million euro military aid package to Ukraine, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said. In the largest aid package up to date, Finland will supply heavy artillery and munitions, according to the country’s Defense Minister Mikko Savola.

The Netherlands will supply two Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, according to a letter from Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren to the Dutch House of Representatives, the NOS news organization reported.

The Netherlands is also considering supplying Ukraine with F-16 aircraft. The Dutch government will look into providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets if Kyiv asks for it, NL Times reported, citing the country's Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra.

During a parliamentary debate on Jan. 19, Hoekstra said that the Dutch Cabinet would consider such a request with an "open mind."

Switzerland is not against giving Russian assets to Ukraine but stated that a referendum may be needed for such a decision to be made. Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that his country supports the idea of using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction, but it would require "major legal adjustments."

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