Russia should not count on end to support for Ukraine – Pistorius

Germany's Acting Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this at the opening of the 27th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

According to Pistorius, the joint chairmanship of the meeting by the United Kingdom and Germany highlights the special responsibility that Europeans bear for restoring peace and freedom on the continent.

"Ukraine has become the epicenter of a broader conflict -- a conflict between freedom and oppression, between the recognition of global standards and aggressive imperialism, between democracy and authoritarianism," Pistorius said.

He said that all this is about whether the strength of law or the law of the strongest will prevail in international relations. It is about whether international relations are governed by peaceful cooperation between sovereign states with equal rights or whether would-be imperial powers can simply move borders and expand spheres of influence to their liking as they used to do a long time ago, he added.

Pistorius stressed the urgency of recognizing the significance of these issues, especially "since the window may be opening to take up negotiations."

"Yet I firmly believe that this window will only open if we show Russia that Ukraine wants to and will be able to continue fighting if necessary -- with more and more advanced weapon systems, with sufficient missiles and ammunition, with well-trained forces," he said.

He stressed that after a ceasefire or a possible peace accord, Ukraine will still be able to deter and defend itself, adding that partner countries are making long-term commitments to arms supplies that stretch years into the future.

Pistorius said that Germany, both under the current and future government, would continue to support Ukraine and has increased its defense assistance budget accordingly.

"Russia should be under no illusion: Ukraine is becoming stronger. We must and we will make sure of that," he concluded.

The 27th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is taking place in Brussels on April 11. The meeting is co-chaired by the defense ministers of the United Kingdom and Germany for the first time.