Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged more than 50 allies to continue supporting the country during its war with Russia, saying it would "be crazy to drop the ball now."
Zelenskyy spoke during the opening of the 25th gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which includes 53 nations that have met monthly in support of Ukraine, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
"It's clear that the new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world just 11 days from now, at a time when we have to cooperate even more, rely on one another even more and achieve even greater results together," Zelenskyy said.
The new chapter Zelenskyy was referring to is the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has questioned the massive amounts of taxpayer money the U.S. has given to Ukraine and promised a diplomatic end to the war.
"I see this as a time of opportunities and renewal in almost three years of full-scale war," Zelenskyy said. "We've come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not to keep building on the defense coalitions we've created."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $500 million package of military aid for Ukraine during the meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The new aid includes missiles for air defense, air-to-ground munitions, support equipment for F-16 fighter jets, and secure communications equipment, according to the Times.
"The stakes are still enormous for all of our security," Austin said. "If Putin swallows Ukraine, his appetite will only grow. If autocrats conclude that democracies will lose their nerve, surrender their interests and forget their principles, we will only see more land grabs. If tyrants learn that aggression pays, we will only invite even more aggression, chaos and war."
Cyprus recently joined the group, having broken with Russia, its largest military benefactor, over the invasion, the Times reported. Since the war, Cyprus' military has been purchasing its standard arms from NATO rather than Russia.
"From the very first moment, Cyprus declared its position close to Ukraine, even though that had a cost for us," Lt. Gen. Georgios Tsitsikostas, chief of Cyprus' National Guard, told the Times.