NATO pledges 70 billion euros for Ukraine as Trump praises peace ‘progress’

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined leaders from all 32 member states in Ankara, where he engaged in an advocacy blitz for Kyiv and met with Trump. In a declaration released as the meetings wrapped up, NATO said the allies “stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity”. “For 2026, Allies pledge €70 billion in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine and affirm their sovereign commitments to sustaining at least equivalent levels in 2027,” the statement said. Long-term support – the vast majority of which now comes from Europe and Canada – “must be equitable, predictable, and sustainable”, it added. The commitment came as Trump appeared enthusiastic about supporting Ukraine as he addressed reporters alongside Zelenskyy, a sharp departure from their highly publicised break last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin is “a difficult character”, Trump said before gesturing at Zelenskyy and saying he is also “a difficult character”. “It’s not the easiest, not the easiest thing,” the US president said of an eventual peace settlement. “There’s a lot of commitment, and there’s a lot of love of the countries and everything else. But I think we’ve made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks.” Trump also appeared to offer a boon to Ukraine in the form of US Patriot missile systems, for which Zelenskyy recently asked for a production licence. “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.” Zelenskyy told the room: “We’re thankful, as always, for American support.” Regarding negotiations with Russia, Zelenskyy said: “We know what to do to bring peace”. “I’m sure you will do everything to stop this war,” he told the US president. The Ukrainian president spent the summit’s two days bouncing between nearly 20 bilateral meetings, seeking to double down on commitments from European and other allies. On Wednesday, he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed “next steps and possible timelines” for signing a drone deal, Zelenskyy wrote on social media, where he also thanked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for a $100m support package and hailed Italy for “always [helping] in a principled way to protect life”. Zelenskyy said late on Tuesday he secured new agreements with Estonia, the Netherlands and Denmark in Ankara with more drone deals expected with Germany, Norway, Finland and Canada. Zelenskyy did not elaborate on what the agreements would entail. Ukraine does not typically release the terms of such deals. Ed Arnold, senior associate fellow of international security at the Royal United Services Institute, told Al Jazeera that NATO membership for Ukraine is “not in the cards” despite Zelenskyy’s campaign to join. “This is about hard military capabilities to keep Ukraine in the fight,” Arnold said. Russia has continued to pummel Ukraine throughout the NATO summit. Russian missile strikes on Kyiv on Wednesday killed at least three people and wounded 14, nine of whom were hospitalised, Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. One of those hospitalised was a 17-year-old boy. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov, meanwhile, said the number of wounded Ukrainians from Russian attacks on the Nemyshlianskyi district has increased to 34. The attacks “really underscore President Zelenskyy’s message in Ankara – more air defence is needed”, Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine said from Kyiv. Ukraine’s air force has not intercepted recent Russian missile launches, making Ukraine’s “Achilles heel … its inability to intercept aerial threats”, MacAlpine added. Ukrainian drones, meanwhile, hammered Russian energy facilities, attacking three oil refineries and pipeline pumping stations. Arnold said Ukraine’s long-range preemptive strike capabilities have allowed it to move into a “stronger position”. “Critically what they’ve managed to do is … really going after Russia’s logistics, their ability to fight, and they’re having real success,” he added. 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