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It’s still not quite a coalition for Putin’s victory – and the name is definitely mild, if not lame: Ukraine’s Defense Advisory Group.
However, if the United States eventually forms a global alliance to actively fight Russia, about 40 nations convened by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Rammstein Air Force Base in Germany on Tuesday are likely to form its core.
The group included dozens of defense ministers and chiefs of defense, mostly from European countries. Austin brought them together as a way to demonstrate visible support for Ukraine and improve the coordination of countries rushing with huge amounts of military aid, including heavy weapons, to help Kyiv fight Russian invaders.
At a news conference Tuesday night, Austin said the group would meet every month ahead, a sign that Ukraine’s allies are preparing for a protracted conflict.
“We are all determined to help Ukraine win today and build strength for tomorrow,” he told a news conference after the day’s meetings.
“To ensure that we continue to build on our progress, we will expand this forum today,” he continued. I am proud to announce that today’s meeting will become a monthly contact group for Ukraine’s self-defense, and the contact group will be a tool for goodwill nations to step up their efforts, coordinate our assistance and focus on winning the today’s battle. and the coming struggles. ”
The staging of the meeting – at a US air base in Germany – appears to have been partly to reject Moscow’s story that Russia is waging a de facto war with NATO, which senior Russian officials say is using Ukraine as a proxy.
“NATO is essentially going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming this proxy,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with state-controlled media Monday night. “War means war.” The comments were startling, in part because the Kremlin refused to admit to waging war in Ukraine and instead insisted on a “special military operation” as a euphemism.
However, the list of participants in Germany, although mostly NATO countries, extends farther around the world, including Australia, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, South Korea and Tunisia. There were no Central or South American countries.
In contrast, the Global Coalition to Win ISIS, formed by the United States in 2014, includes 84 countries.
The EU and NATO also attended the meeting in Germany on Tuesday, although NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was unable to attend because he had cold symptoms.
Austin travels to Ramstein after a visit to Kyiv on Sunday with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov also attended the event on Tuesday.
“Ukraine has done a great job defending its sovereignty against Russia’s unprovoked invasion,” Austin said in his opening remarks. “And Ukraine’s valor and skills will remain in military history. You know, the battle of Ivo Jima took 36 days. The battle of the bulge lasted 40 days. And Ukraine has already repulsed the Russian military for 62 days. Your resistance has brought inspiration to the free world, even greater NATO determination and the glory of Ukraine.
He added that since the beginning of the Russian invasion, more than 30 allies and partners have provided more than $ 5 billion in equipment in support of Ukraine. The United States has allocated about $ 3.7 billion.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Austin was also pressured to clarify comments he made in Poland on Monday, saying the United States wanted to see Russia weakened.
The defense minister said the US goal was to help Russia stop aggression against its neighbors.
“We want to make it harder for Russia to threaten its neighbors and leave them less able to do so,” Austin said before outlining the heavy losses Russia suffered during its invasion of Ukraine. He added: “So we would like to make sure, again, that they do not have the same ability to harass their neighbors that we saw at the beginning of this conflict.
Austin was also asked about concerns that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, a fear heightened by accidental threats posed by some Russian politicians and television commentators.
“You’ve heard us say several times that this kind of rhetoric is very dangerous and useless,” Austin said. “No one wants to see a nuclear war. This is a war that, you know, all countries are losing, so the rattling of swords and, you know, dangerous rhetoric is obviously useless and something we will not take part in.
The US defense chief also praised Germany, which announced in Rammstein on Tuesday that it would send heavy weapons, including tanks, to Ukraine.
“These systems will provide real opportunities,” he said.
Hans von der Burhard contributed to this article.
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