Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting convened by the US at its Ramstein airbase in southwestern Germany is “focused on working to create additional capability and capability for Ukrainian forces”.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting convened by the US at its Ramstein airbase in southwestern Germany is “focused on working to create additional capability and capability for Ukrainian forces”.
Forty countries will hold emergency talks in Germany on April 26 to bolster Ukraine’s defence, which the US Pentagon chief believes can “win” against Russia if given the necessary means and support.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting convened by the US at its Ramstein airbase in southwestern Germany is “focused on working to create additional capability and capability for Ukrainian forces”. After the tour of Kyiv on Sunday,
“We believe they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support,” Austin said. Just before the talks, Germany indicated that it was ready to authorize the delivery of tanks to Ukraine, which, along with Berlin’s cautious policy towards Kyiv, would be a major change in the supply of defense equipment.
Mr Austin, along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his first visit to Kyiv since the invasion of Ukraine two months earlier. The US is already the largest supplier of international military aid to Ukraine,
And he pledged to do whatever we can to get them “all the aid, artillery and types of munitions that will be effective at this stage of the battle”, Mr. Austin said at a press conference in Poland. gave. Kyiv is seeking heavy artillery and tanks to repel Russian forces trying to gain complete control of its vast southern plains and the Donbass’ eastern region.
Some countries in Eastern Europe that still had stock were sometimes shipped to Kyiv in exchange for a new generation of American equipment, as the journalists accompanying the American ministers witnessed.
Mr Austin and Mr Blinken hold their press conference in Poland, piled high in a warehouse with humanitarian and military aid ready to be packed on trucks bound for Ukraine after a trip to Kyiv. Next to pallets of medical supplies and diapers were hundreds of Russian-made shells and rockets provided by countries that choose to be prudent on their involvement in arming Ukraine.
Outside the warehouse, seven vehicles carrying howitzers with a range of 30 kilometers (18 mi) awaited transfer. They were parked in front of hundreds of pallets of carefully packed shells and various ammunition.
“But all that is insufficient, and Washington, which initially limited its deliveries to so-called “defensive” weapons, has begun sending heavy American-made weapons, such as howitzers and various armored vehicles.”
“We are also engaging our allies in other countries for the same type of capability, and we see signs on that soon… many countries are going to come forward and provide additional munitions and howitzers,” Mr. Austin said.
France is supplying Caesar guns with a range of 40 km and Britain has provided Starstreak anti-air missiles and tanks. The meeting also aims to ensure Ukraine’s security in the long term after the war ends.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday, “It’s really about modernizing and making sure their military is still powerful and capable. It’s not about security guarantees, it’s about their actual military posture.” is.”
Tuesday’s meeting will not take place under the auspices of NATO, even if the Secretary General of the Coalition Jens Stoltenberg attends it.
“As you know, NATO is not providing security assistance to Ukraine as a coalition, so it is not being done under the umbrella of NATO at all,” Mr. Kirby emphasized.
Among the 40 invited are not only Washington’s European allies, but also forward countries such as Japan or Australia, who fear a Russian victory in Ukraine could set a precedent on China’s regional ambitions.
Finland and Sweden, traditionally neutral countries now looking to join NATO following Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, are also among the countries involved in the talks.