Substitute while the actions of the article are loading
RAMSTEIN AIRLINE, Germany – Defense Minister Lloyd Austin told a gathering of military leaders in Germany that “Ukraine’s resistance has inspired the free world and even greater determination for NATO” – and that Russian President Vladimir Putin never imagined that the world will unite behind Ukraine so quickly and securely. “
Austin’s remarks when he opened a US-organized gathering of more than 40 countries to discuss Ukraine’s defense needs to fight Russia came as the United States announced more military aid and plans to reopen its embassy in the Ukrainian capital. Poland said it would send tanks, while Germany planned to send armored anti-aircraft guns.
“We all hold your back,” Austin told Ukraine in a speech after his own trip to Kyiv.
Senior NATO and non-NATO defense officials attended the meeting, part of Ukraine’s new defense advisory group. Some nations, such as Israel and Qatar, had representatives at the table, although they were not on the official list. The inclusion of non-NATO countries such as Kenya, Tunisia and Japan has been part of efforts to expand substantial and symbolic support for Ukraine outside Europe and the Alliance.
In separate notes to the group, General Mark A. Mili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered a clear picture of the next phase of the war as Russia seeks to take full control of southeastern and southern Ukraine. “The weather is not on Ukraine’s side,” Mili said in closed-door comments given to reporters traveling with him. “The outcome of this battle, right here today, depends on the people in this room.
Live updates: US general says “time is not on Ukraine’s side”; Putin will meet with the UN chief
World leaders are trying to pressure Putin to stop the war, which is now in its third month. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is in Moscow to meet with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, called for a ceasefire on Tuesday, saying everything must be done “to end the war as much as possible. soon. “
Lavrov, meanwhile, sounded the alarm when he told state television that the risk of the conflict escalating into a nuclear war was “serious, real” – but added that Moscow’s position was that nuclear war was unacceptable. Lavrov accused NATO of waging a proxy war by donating weapons to Kyiv, and said weapons coming from Ukraine’s allies would be considered a “legitimate target” for the Russian military.
The U.S.’s goals at the meeting were to share what Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called a “common understanding” of the current battlefield and Ukraine’s defense capabilities and requirements, as well as the capacity of national industrial bases.
The United States wants the Russian military to be “weakened” by the invasion of Ukraine, Austin said
Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov led a delegation from Kyiv, where Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited on Sunday.
“This visit only underscored my sense of urgency, an urgency I know we all share,” Austin told the meeting. He stressed that “I would like this whole group to leave today with a common and transparent understanding of Ukraine’s short-term security requirements, because we will continue to move heaven and earth so that we can meet them.”
President Biden announced last week an additional $ 800 million in arms aid to Ukraine, including heavy artillery and high-tech attack drones aimed at a new battle in the south and southeast. US military officials have estimated that the Russians, who withdrew to these areas after their failure to capture Kyiv, will try to encircle Ukrainian forces there in a major ground battle.
“My trip to Kyiv has heightened my admiration for the way the Ukrainian armed forces are deploying the aid they receive,” Austin said in his opening statement. “Ukraine clearly believes it can win. And that’s what everyone here is doing. “
Millie was less emphatic after reporters left the room. “The next two, three, four weeks will shape the overall outcome of this battle,” he said.
Add Comment