Ramstein-17: Pentagon chief calls on contact group to provide Ukraine with air defense equipment

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke from the Pentagon at the opening of the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense, the 17th meeting in the Ramstein format, in a virtual format. The Pentagon chief called on the group to provide Ukraine with air defense equipment in anticipation of winter, UNN reports.

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At the beginning of the meeting, the Pentagon chief recalled his recent trip to Ukraine.

And my message to them was simple: we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. We're focused on supporting Ukraine as it continues to fight the winter and protect its critical infrastructure, said Austin, whose statement was released by the Pentagon.

The US Secretary of Defense emphasized that "for more than 20 months, the people of Ukraine have demonstrated to the world the power of a free people to resist Putin's aggression." "Ukraine has regained 50 percent of the territory lost since February 2022," Austin said.

"And Ukraine's fight for freedom matters to all of us. As President Biden has said, when tyrants don't pay the price for their aggression, they continue to threaten the world," he said.

According to the Pentagon chief, the contact group has already allocated more than $80 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its unjustified invasion.

This is a moment of global challenge. But make no mistake. The United States is well positioned to continue our strong support for Ukraine, even as we stand by Israel in its time of need. So, as Ukraine faces another winter at war, I urge this group to provide Ukraine with air defense capabilities to protect its people," Austin said.

The US Secretary of Defense also indicated that he is "more confident than ever that the Ukrainian people will remain resilient in the face of adversity. That is because they are fighting for their homes, for their families, and for their future."

"As we seek to support our partner, we must think creatively about how we can continue to meet Ukraine's needs. The United States remains committed to doing our part," he emphasized.

Austin emphasized that he looks forward to "discussing how we can work together to meet Ukraine's other pressing needs." "And we will also continue to discuss ways to help Ukraine build its future strength," he added. 

I look forward to working together to identify the leaders and members of each of our "coalitions of opportunity." We have already organized coalitions focused on building the Ukrainian Air Force and its information technology capabilities. And today, we will discuss the progress made since our last meeting in developing a new ground-based air defense coalition," the US Secretary of Defense said.

In this context, he emphasized that he "appreciates the leadership of Germany and France in organizing this important initiative." "Last week they held their first virtual coalition discussion. And we're gathering resources from across the Contact Group to support this effort," Austin said.

"So I look forward to hearing from our current coalitions of opportunity, as well as plans for new ones," he concluded.