Don't stop military support, Zelenskyy tells allies, ahead of Trump's return to power

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Ukraine's western allies "not to drop the ball" and to continue to provide long-term military support to his embattled country once Donald Trump returns to the White House.

- Luke Harding, Dan Sabbagh, Joseph Gedeon

Speaking at a summit in Germany, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Trump's imminent second presidency was likely to bring dramatic changes. "It's clear that a new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world just 11 days from now," the Ukrainian president said.

"We have to cooperate even more, rely on each other even more, and achieve greater results together," he added, sitting alongside the outgoing US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the German defence minister, Boris Pistorius.

Pulling the plug on military support "will only invite more aggression, chaos and war," Zelenskyy warned. "We have come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not keep building on the defence coalitions we have created.

"No matter what's going on in the world, everyone wants to feel sure that their country will not just be erased off the map."

Austin praised Zelenskyy as a "leader who has made history" and announced a $500m US assistance package. It includes additional air defence missiles, more ammunition, and equipment to support Ukraine's small fleet of F-16 fighter jets.