Frederiksen’s comments follow the White House’s confirmation earlier this week that the U.S. will cease sending air defense missiles and certain precision munitions to Ukraine, supporting a report by POLITICO.
Denmark remains a staunch supporter of Ukraine, contributing nearly €10 billion in military and civilian aid since Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022. Frederiksen has been among the EU’s most vocal advocates for continued pressure on Russia.
“If there are any gaps [left by the U.S.], I personally believe that we should be willing to fill them,” she stated.
Shortly after, at a separate press conference with Frederiksen and von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed that Kyiv depends on the “continuation of American support,” but acknowledged some items, particularly Patriot missiles, that Europe cannot immediately supply.
Regarding President Donald Trump’s scheduled Thursday conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy remarked that Moscow had not adhered to the ceasefire terms and mentioned he would speak with Trump in the coming days.
When questioned about EU support for Ukraine, the bloc’s leading officials — European Council President António Costa and von der Leyen — emphasized Brussels’ unwavering commitment to Kyiv. They highlighted that EU countries had supplied €24 billion in military aid for Ukraine this year, including 2 million artillery shells.
Although this amount surpasses the U.S. contribution, it is considerably less than the combined efforts of the U.S. and Europe prior to Washington reducing its aid to Kyiv.
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