Russia, by attacking Ukraine with missiles and drones, is trying to demoralize Ukrainians and undermine the morale of the Ukrainian military. That is why Ukraine’s partner countries should provide more air defense systems to cover the sky.
This was stated by United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a video speech at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, better known as Ramstein.
Austin opened the session of the 18th meeting in the Ramstein format. The previous Ramstein took place more than two months ago — in November 2023.
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In turn, from the Ukrainian side, during the meeting of this Contact Group, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny met.
The head of the US Department of Defense began by saying that the United States and the international coalition of about 50 allies and partners remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
— Ukraine is not alone. All over the world, friends of Ukraine support Ukrainian troops in confronting Putin’s aggression. We have formed a historic international coalition that shares common interests and principles. And the United States remains committed to supporting Ukraine in its struggle for freedom, — he said.
He recalled that Ukrainian troops are inflicting significant losses on the Russian army, and Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to sacrifice “stunning amounts” troops for their own purposes.
— Putin hopes that missiles and drones will demoralize the Ukrainian people and undermine the morale of the Ukrainian military. Therefore I urge this group to make efforts to provide Ukraine with more vital ground-based air defense systems and interceptors.Ukraine responded to Putin's brutality with courage and defiance. After almost two years of war, the Ukrainian people and army stand strong against Russian aggression and occupation, and the Russian military is greatly weakened and demoralized, — he said.
The Pentagon chief also reminded those present that Ukraine has regained more than 50% of the sovereign territory seized by Russia since its unprovoked invasion in February 2022.
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— So let's be frank. Our support for Ukraine's fight against tyranny makes all our countries safer. If we lose our nerve, if we falter, if we fail to deter other potential aggressors, we will only invite more bloodshed and chaos. Therefore, a sovereign and secure Ukraine is critical to global security, — he emphasized.
Lloyd Austin separately stated that the United States continues to “work hard” over monitoring and reporting on American security assistance provided to Ukraine, but so far the Pentagon has “seen no credible evidence” misuse or illegal diversion of American equipment.
— We see that Ukraine is using the opportunities we have given it to defend against Russian aggression, — he added.
He also noted and thanked the allied countries for the important assistance packages that were delivered to Ukraine. We are talking, in particular, about support for Ukraine from Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Great Britain.
— Together, these commitments will amount to billions of dollars in additional military assistance to Ukraine. We must continue to focus on both Ukraine's immediate needs on the battlefield and on helping Ukraine strengthen, modernize, and sustain its Armed Forces over the long term, — he said.
That's why, Austin noted, the Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference was held in Washington last month, with the goal of ushering in “a new era of cooperation” to meet Ukraine's long-term security needs.
— We remain committed to strengthening Ukraine's defense industrial base, both to intensify Ukraine's current fight and to strengthen its long-term deterrence. And our allies and partners proudly work alongside us, — he said.
The head of the Pentagon stressed that in Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, “the security of the entire international community“ .
— And I am as committed as ever to working with our allies and partners in support of Ukraine to get this job done, — he said.
Previous Ramstein
The previous meeting of the 17th Ramstein took place on November 22, where the creation of a new coalition of air defense systems was discussed. The leaders of this coalition were then Germany and France.
Before this, in October 2023, a meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine was held in Brussels, where President Vladimir Zelensky was personally present for the first time.
