Germany pledges big military aid package to Ukraine as Kyiv puts 2026 defense needs at $120 billion

BRUSSELS (AP) — Germany on Wednesday pledged more than $2 billion in military aid for Ukraine, as the government in Kyiv signaled that it would need $120 billion in 2026 to stave off Russia’s nearly four-year all-out war.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany would buy $500 million worth of U.S. weapons for Ukraine under a new program to fast-track military equipment. Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden said that they would also participate in the funding initiative.

Pistorius said that Germany’s “package addresses a number of urgent requirements of Ukraine. It provides air defense systems, Patriot (missile) interceptors, radar systems and precision guided artillery, rockets and ammunition.”

He said that Germany would separately provide “another two Iris-T air defense systems, including a large number of guided missiles, as well as shoulder-fired air defense missiles.” Anti-tank weapons, communication devices and hand-held weapons would also be delivered.

Over the summer, the trans-Atlantic alliance started to coordinate regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine to help fend off Russia’s war. The aim was to send at least one load a month of targeted and predictable military support, each worth around $500 million.

Spare weapons stocks in European arsenals have all but dried up, and only the United States has a sufficient store of ready weapons that Ukraine most needs.

Under the financial arrangement — known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL — European allies and Canada are buying American weapons to help Kyiv keep Russian forces at bay. About $2 billion worth had previously been allocated since August.

Finland’s defense minister, Antti Häkkänen, said that his country has “decided to join the PURL, because we see that it’s crucial that Ukraine gets the critical U.S. weapons.” Finland will also provide a separate package of its own military equipment.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said that “Sweden stands ready to do more.” He welcomed discussions among other Nordic countries and the Baltic nations — Estonia and Lithuania — on helping to make up another load too.

Germany’s pledge came after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, as Ukraine’s Western backers gathered to drum up more military support for their beleaguered partner.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal put his country’s defense needs next year at $120 billion.

“Ukraine will cover half, 60 billion, from our national resources. We are asking partners to join us in covering the other half,” he said. He said that “the most efficient, effective, fast” way for Kyiv’s backers to do that would be “to dedicate no less than 0.25% of their GDP (gross domestic product) to military support.”

Air defense systems are most in need. Shmyhal said that last month alone, Russia “launched over 5,600 strike drones and more than 180 missiles targeting our civilian infrastructure and people. Therefore, on the eve of winter, it is very critical to provide us with necessary equipment to repel such attacks.”