Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will attend a high-level defense meeting in Germany next week to discuss military support for Ukraine. The meeting, to be held on October 12 at the U.S. air base in Ramstein near Frankfurt, will gather more than 50 of Ukraine’s international allies, including U.S. President Joe Biden.

This will mark the 25th Ramstein meeting but the first to take place at the leaders’ level. Zelensky said he will present "clear, concrete steps towards a just end of the war" and highlighted that stopping Russia depends on "the determination of our partners and the strengthening of Ukraine."

The summit comes at a pivotal moment for Ukraine as the U.S. approaches its November elections, where support for Kyiv could face challenges. Republican candidate Donald Trump has criticized the billions of dollars the U.S. has given to Ukraine and expressed concerns over the prolonged conflict.

Ukraine has also ramped up pressure on its Western supporters to allow the use of donated long-range weapons to target military sites deep within Russia. Russian forces continue to make slow but steady advances in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops have been heavily outnumbered and outgunned in recent months.