At the start of a meeting of more than 40 countries in Germany, US Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin expressed his confidence that Ukraine would be able to stop the Russian invasion. “Ukraine thinks it can win,” Austin told the Officers Club at Ramstein Air Force Base. And this applies to all gifts.
The meeting was made possible by the courage of the Ukrainians, who defended themselves from the Russian attack. Austin linked Ukraine’s defensive fighting to two World War II-era battles. The Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific lasted 36 days, the Battle of the Bulge on the Western Front in Europe 40 days. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians had been fighting for 62 days. Your resistance is an inspiration to the entire free world, which is united behind the country. “Heaven and earth” will be moved to meet the needs of Ukrainians. Much more remains to be done.
The Pentagon invited several NATO defense ministers and military chiefs and other supporters, including Finland, Israel and Japan, to the Ukraine Defense Advisory Group meeting. Some of them were connected via video. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov also traveled from Kiev. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg does not attend, but it is not an Alliance event either. In his place is one of the Alliance’s Deputy General Secretaries.
After Austin’s welcome, Resnikov and German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) would speak to those in attendance in the morning. According to the speech manuscript sent earlier by the Ministry of Defense, Lambrecht wanted to announce that Germany would allow the delivery of Gepard anti-aircraft tanks. The decision was taken by the federal government on Monday.
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Germany is also ready to step up the training of Ukrainian soldiers. For example, Ukrainian soldiers in Germany were to be trained in the handling of artillery systems on both the German and the American sides. Another training project should be implemented jointly with the Netherlands. This case is about dealing with tank howitzers, for which ammunition must also be provided. Everyone knows that “artillery is an essential factor” in the war between Ukraine and Russia, according to Lambrecht. In addition, deliveries with Eastern European countries were agreed in the ring exchange procedure. “They give Soviet-made equipment to Ukraine and we fill those gaps,” Lambrecht said, according to the manuscript. Products from Eastern European countries of Soviet production are considered particularly efficient in the short term because Ukrainian soldiers are familiar with them and no longer need to be trained in them.
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Initially, there were no further announcements of further arms deliveries to Ukraine in Ramstein on Tuesday morning. Austin said that so far more than 30 countries have supplied Ukraine with military material worth $5 billion. He put the US share at $3.7 billion.
The terrain at the air force base was heavily guarded. A Humvee with a heavy machine gun guarded the entrance to the officers’ club, while soldiers with assault rifles monitored traffic at the barriers and facilities. Sniffer dogs were also used. The public will be informed of the results of the meeting starting at 4 pm.