NATO will support Ukraine’s spring counteroffensive — Lloyd Austin. Photo: APnews
Ukraine has urgent needs for additional military aid, and NATO is also willing to support it for the long term. The U.S. Defense Secretary asserted it at a meeting in the Ramstein format in Brussels on February 14.
In his opening remarks at the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Mr. Austin recalled that the Ukrainian army had driven Russian troops off Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson "with Javelins and Stingers and other systems donated by the countries in this room."
"And we will help Ukraine hold and advance during the spring counteroffensive. With unity and urgency, we will again deliver the support that we have promised to Ukraine," he emphasized.
The Pentagon chief also praised the countries' coordination and efforts to provide Ukraine with Patriot and SAMP-T systems, as well as tanks.
"Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands are working together to provide Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine," he added.
The U.S. Defense Secretary emphasized that the goal of the contact group wasn’t just to provide equipment but to provide lasting capabilities. According to Austin, the countries would be talking about synchronizing their support for Ukraine and discussing industrial-base initiatives that would help sustain their support.
The Pentagon chief expressed his confidence in the growing unity among the countries. He noted that the war wasn’t just about Ukraine's right to live in peace and security but also about the kind of world that "our children" will inherit.