Partner countries will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. The allies promise to help Ukrainians launch a counter-offensive in the spring, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing a statement by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin during a Ramstein meeting.
"Countries of goodwill from all around the world continue to step up and consider new decisions (on military support for Ukraine - ed.). And together, this Contact Group has made it clear that we will support Ukraine's fight for freedom over the long haul—and help Ukraine hold and advance during the spring counter-offensive," Austin stated.
According to him, the allies will do everything to ensure that Ukraine can regain its land.
Today, 14 February, the NATO Ramstein meeting and the meeting of defence ministers start in Brussels. The Allies will discuss further support for Ukraine, including ammunition.
A two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers and a meeting on Tuesday with a larger group of countries that support Ukraine militarily and financially, known as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, are part of a series of diplomatic meetings this week. According to Austin, more than 50 countries are participating in the meeting in the Ramstein format. The first meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group was held in April at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. At that time, the group included over 40 countries.
This meeting is the ninth. The previous one took place in January when participants discussed the provision of modern battle tanks to Ukraine. Ukraine is represented by Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov. According to Reznikov, the main issues on the agenda include the protection of Ukrainian skies, potentially through the use of an airborne platform, the development of a "tank coalition," the formation of a safety margin for ammunition, and training programs for soldiers.
