On Thursday, the United Kingdom government announced new aid worth $590 million (450 million pounds) for Ukraine. The goal is to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war, especially before talks begin about a possible peace deal.

Out of this total, 350 million pounds will come from the UK’s 4.5-billion-pound military support plan for Ukraine this year. Norway will also add more funding, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence. British Defence Minister John Healey, along with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, led a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, where they announced a new aid package. The funding will be used to pay for the repair and upkeep of vehicles and equipment, as well as to provide radar systems, anti-tank mines, and hundreds of thousands of drones. At the same time, Germany also announced a support package worth €11 billion and stated that it will continue helping Ukraine until 2029.

British Defence Minister John Healey announced a new aid package while leading a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Brussels, alongside his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. The British funding will go toward fixing and maintaining vehicles and equipment, and will also provide radar systems, anti-tank mines, and hundreds of thousands of drones. At the same time, Germany unveiled a support package worth €11 billion. Its defence ministry said the country is committed to helping Ukraine through 2029. Germany’s aid includes 4 Iris-T air defence systems with 300 guided missiles, 300 reconnaissance drones, 120 shoulder-fired air defence weapons (ManPads), 25 Marder infantry vehicles, 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 14 artillery units, 100 ground surveillance radars, and 30 Patriot guided missiles. “Russia should be under no illusion, Ukraine is becoming stronger. We must and we will make sure of that,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff visited Russia on Friday, according to the Kremlin. This was his third trip to the country, as the United States continues to push for a ceasefire in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump is urging both Moscow and Kyiv to stop the conflict, which has lasted for over three years. However, he has shown frustration with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky because there hasn't been much progress. Regarding news that Witkoff had landed for discussions with Putin, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted by official media as stating, "Yes, I can confirm he flew into Russia."