The G7 countries have agreed to send another USD 32 billion in budget and economic aid to Ukraine. “We remain strongly committed to addressing Ukraine's urgent short-term financing needs,” the ministers said, while encouraging other donors to up their contributions to the war-torn country, Reuters reports. “USD 32 billion is a strong signal, but there is a certain probability that we will not get by with it,” said Christian Lindner, Finance Minister of Germany which holds the presidency of the organization. 

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in her capacity as chair of a virtual G7 foreign ministers’ meeting stated that the G7 members are “committed to enhance and closely coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements for military and defense equipment, especially air defense”, adding that every missile Ukraine downs means less suffering for the people there. The G7 foreign ministers threatened additional sanctions against Belarus if it continued to “enable” Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Patriot missile and air defence systems are part of the new package of military aid for Ukraine, amounting to USD 1.85 billion announced by President Joe Biden during the visit by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to the US. “This is an important step in creating an effective air shield for Ukraine. This is the only way we will deprive the terrorist state of its main instrument of terror - the ability to strike at our cities, our energy, and our people,” President Zelensky said. Ukraine will also receive more ammunition for the artillery, tanks and multiple launch rocket systems. “We’re going to continue to help Ukraine succeed on the battlefield.  It can succeed in the battlefield with our help, and the help of our European allies and others, so that if and when President Zelensky is ready to talk with the Russians, he will be able to succeed as well, because he will have won on the battlefield,” President Biden stated on his part.

Talking to reporters, Vladimir Putin said Patriots was quite an old system and “doesn’t work as well as our S-300”. He said also that Russia wants an end to the war in Ukraine which will inevitably lead to “some kind of negotiations”. White House spokesman John Kirby on his part statedPutin has “shown absolutely zero indication that he is willing to negotiate”.