Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom are set to meet in Paris on Monday to discuss additional military support for Ukraine, European defence and the regional conflict in the Middle East, according to French officials cited by Al Jazeera. The meeting comes as attacks continue: Al Jazeera reports that Ukrainian officials said a Russian strike injured four people in Zaporizhzhia and that Russian officials reported deaths and injuries after a Ukrainian drone attack in Voronezh.Al Jazeera
The five countries previously met in Berlin in June, where they pledged continued support for Ukraine and sought to signal that Europe remained behind Kyiv, Al Jazeera reports. The report does not establish whether the Paris discussions will produce a joint decision, funding commitment or weapons package.
The scheduled talks also come as Kyiv manages a separate dispute over military communications. Ukraine said restrictions on its Starlink and Starshield connections had been lifted after more than a week of disruption affecting front-line operations. SpaceX chief Elon Musk said the civilian service had been throttled because of alleged violations of its terms, while a Ukrainian defence technology adviser disputed that characterisation, Al Jazeera reported. The same report said negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were expected to meet in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November, but the sources do not connect those planned talks to the Paris agenda.