European countries with the largest defense budgets name Russia their main security threat and pledge continued support for Ukraine

Defense ministers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland, and France met in Paris on October 26 as members of the E5 group — the countries with the largest defense budgets — to discuss support for Ukraine ahead of winter.

According to a statement released after the meeting, the ministers named Russia the main long-term threat to European security and pledged to keep supporting Ukraine despite Washington’s warming relations with Moscow.

The statement reads, “Our countries share the assessment that Russia represents the most acute and long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability,” and notes that Russia’s war against Ukraine and intensifying hybrid attacks in Europe “do not undermine our unity, solidarity and cohesion.”

The ministers pledged to continue backing Ukraine but announced no new military or financial aid packages, instead reaffirming earlier commitments.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stressed that the allies would work to preserve U.S. support for Ukraine, saying, “We will do everything we can to ensure that the U.S. also supports Ukraine with supplies, as well as with intelligence and satellite data.”

The E5 countries are also working with Ukraine on their own air defense system meant to supplement the U.S. Patriot systems, according to Pistorius.