US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday during a meeting with dozens of defense ministers in Brussels that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was at a “fundamental” moment and that the United States and its allies could not focus on the conflict.
The meeting on the sidelines of the NATO defense ministers meeting will focus on arms deliveries to Ukraine, and the group of nearly 50 countries is meeting for the third time to discuss and coordinate aid to Ukraine. The previous face-to-face meeting was at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base in April.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Monday that Ukraine needs 1,000 howitzers, 500 tanks and 1,000 drones, among other heavy weapons. Western countries have promised standard NATO weapons, including advanced US rockets.
But mobilization takes time, and Ukraine is calling for consistent Western support for the transition to new materials and systems as stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and ammunition dwindle.
“We can’t give up and lose strength. The stakes are too high,” Austin said at the start of the meeting in Brussels.
“We need to increase our joint commitment to Ukraine’s self-defense and make even more efforts to ensure that Ukraine defends itself, its citizens and its land,” Austin said. said.
Ahead of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he hoped the allies would continue to provide heavy weapons and long-range systems to Ukraine and would agree on a new aid package to Kiev at a NATO summit. this month.
source: Noticias
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