Zelensky lobbies NATO defense leaders as Israel-Hamas war rages

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday directly lobbied dozens of Western defense officials for more military aid, assistance that is sure to stretch thin following an ever-widening conflict between Israel and Hamas.  

Zelensky’s attendance at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a meeting of more than 50 defense leaders in Brussels, is the first time the Ukrainian leader has attended such a gathering. 

The event offered a gain for Kyiv, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announcing that the U.S. will send another $200 million in new weapons and equipment to Ukraine. That package includes munitions for air defense systems, anti-tank and anti-drone weapons and various artillery rounds. 

But Austin also signaled that the Defense Department was preparing to offer more support to Israel in its war against Palestinian militant group Hamas, telling reporters that it “stands fully ready to deploy additional assets if necessary” — even as he assured that Washington could aid both countries. 

“Make no mistake, the United States will remain able to project power and to direct resources to tackle crises in multiple theaters,” Austin said following the meeting. “So we will stand firmly with Israel as we continue to support Ukraine. 

And as the gathering kicked off, Austin, flanked by Zelensky, said U.S. support for Israel will “remain ironclad.” 

The meeting comes as Ukraine hopes to gain more Western weapons for its fight to reclaim territory from Russian troops ahead of winter. Political infighting in Congress, however, has slowed approval for new Ukraine aid, with opposition to any assistance coming from far-right GOP lawmakers. 

There are also signs of the Western world growing weary of continuous funding for Ukraine as the country has only made minimal progress in its counteroffensive launched earlier this spring. 

Zelensky’s attendance at the meeting Wednesday appeared to try to counterbalance that fatigue.  

There is a “very understandable volume” of lethal aid that the West can give, Zelensky said when asked if he was concerned Ukraine may receive less assistance due to the war in Israel. 

“Of course, everybody’s afraid” of diminishing Western assistance with the Israel and Hamas conflict, he said at a press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. “And I think also Russia’s counting on it, on dividing support.” 

He later reiterated Ukraine’s need for long-range missiles and ammunition. 

“It’s very important that there are priorities,” Zelensky said ahead of a private meeting with Austin and new Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Charles Brown. “These are very concrete things and we need them.” 

But the war in Israel has thrown a new wrench into Ukrainian efforts to shore up additional help, as it is sure to further strain weapons stocks already running low thanks to 19 months of helping Kyiv’s military.  

Austin pledged that the United States “will stay in close contact with our Israeli partners and ensure that they have what they need to protect their country.” 

The U.S. has already sent weapons to Israel including munitions and interceptors to replenish the country’s Iron Dome air defense system. 

In addition, the Pentagon ordered a U.S. carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a move to be closer to Israel, with the vessels arriving Tuesday.  

The Biden administration has pledged additional help in the conflict after Hamas on Saturday began a coordinated surprise attack on Israel that included forces striking multiple Israeli towns by land, air and sea. 

More than 1,000 Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in the conflict along with 22 U.S. citizens as of Wednesday. American citizens also are among those being held hostage by Hamas, according to the White House.