RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Jan 10: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said Donald Trump's return to the White House would open "a new chapter" and reiterated a call for Western allies to send troops to help "force Russia to peace".
Zelensky spoke at a meeting of about 50 allies at the US air base Ramstein in Germany, the last such gathering before Trump takes office on January 20, casting doubt on future American support for Kyiv.
"It's clear that a new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world -- just 11 days from now, a time when we have to cooperate even more, rely on one another even more, and achieve even greater results together," said Zelensky.
"I see this as a time of opportunities," he added at the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. As the grinding war nears the three-year mark, Zelensky repeated a call for Western allies to send troops to help Ukraine.
"Our goal is to find as many instruments as possible to force Russia into peace," he told the meeting. "I believe that such deployment of partners' contingents is one of the best instruments."
The United States under President Joe Biden has been Ukraine's biggest wartime backer, providing military aid worth more than $65 billion since February 2022.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin -- who launched the Ramstein format shortly after the war started -- announced new military aid worth $500 million for Kyiv.
"The coalition to support Ukraine must not flinch. It must not falter. And it must not fail," Austin said. "Ukraine's survival is on the line. But so is all of our security." —AFP
