Rustem Umerov: Ukraine and its allies plan a review of military aid to identify key priorities for 2025

Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov held a videoconference with the defense ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland.

The meeting focused on strengthening military support for Ukraine, adapting assistance to address urgent needs, and developing strategic partnerships in the defense sector.

“The support from allies will become more rapid and effective. Ukraine's defenders must be provided with everything necessary to end russian aggression,” emphasized Rustem Umerov.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine briefed European colleagues with detailed information about the needs of the Defence Forces and outlined the priorities for assistance.

In particular, he stressed the importance of the partners' initiative to support Ukrainian brigades and battalions. As an example of successful cooperation, Umerov highlighted France's experience in training one of Ukraine's brigades and equipping it with armored vehicles.

Another important area of support is bolstering air defense capabilities ahead of winter.

The enemy continues its attempts to destroy our critical infrastructure, which is why we need more air defense systems and their accompanying ammunition,” Rustem Umerov noted.

Another key priority is a supply of artillery ammunition. The Minister expressed gratitude to the partners for delivering 1 million artillery shells and emphasized the need for scaling up supplies in order to achieve parity with the enemy.

Ukraine and its allies are intensifying efforts to enhance the potential of Ukraine's defense industry. Rustem Umerov suggested that allied countries share technologies and forge strategic partnerships with Ukraine's domestic industry.

Among the promising areas of cooperation are:

Production of 155-mm ammunition

Localization of production of air defense systems and missile

Localization of production of heavy armored vehicle and artillery systems

Development of defense technologies, including autonomous systems, electronic warfare (EW) assets, and radar systems.

Furthermore, the parties agreed to conduct a review of aid provided in 2022, 2023, and 2024. “We need to identify which support models for Ukraine have been most effective and scale them up,” Rustem Umerov said.

The Minister of Defence also emphasized Ukraine's openness to embrace new initiatives that will swiftly address the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2025: “We must act bravely and in unity. Only then can we achieve a just and lasting peace in Europe.”