After 25 days, the Ukrainian capital was attacked again, but this time the drones did not cause much damage. More caused a Russian fighter on its territory, when he accidentally dropped an explosive device in Belgorod, injuring three people. Hours later, at the end of the meeting of the so-called Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine, which brings together defense ministers from 50 countries at Ramstein Air Base, in Germany, NATO and United States leaders were convinced that with the commitments from the allies, the country attacked by Russia will be able to recapture areas.
“Our joint efforts have made a huge difference to Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield,” Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, who has led the group since its first meeting a year ago, said at the start of the meeting. And they highlight the Kremlin’s miscalculation. Putin thought he could easily overthrow the democratically elected government of Kiev. He thought the world would let him get away with it. He thought our unity would fall apart. But he was wrong – in each case,” he said.
Prior to meeting his counterparts, including Portuguese minister Helena Carreiras, Austin was confident that the results of the meeting “will put the Ukrainian armed forces in a position to remain successful on the battlefield” and that it will “get what needed to begin.” the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
He highlighted the fact that in “just a few months’ time” the contact group had delivered more than 230 tanks, more than 1,550 armored vehicles and other equipment and ammunition to support more than nine new armored brigades.
A similar position was taken by NATO’s Secretary General at the end of the meeting. “I have every confidence in her [ucranianos] will now be able to liberate even more territory,” said Jens Stoltenberg, who had visited Kiev the day before.
Austin also said the M1 Abrams tanks will arrive in Germany in the coming weeks to train the Ukrainian army, allowing the tanks to enter service in the fall. It is too late for the counter-offensive to take place in the coming weeks, but if we are to believe the words of the Chief of the US Armed Forces, Mark Milley, “it will make a difference if it is delivered”, despite the fact that being only 31. I’m biased, but I believe the M1 is the best tank in the world,” he said with Lloyd Austin.
Milley also said the central theme of the discussion was “air defense, air defense, air defense.” When asked if the United States could change its mind about supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighters just as it did with tanks, Milley preferred to point out that Ukraine’s air defense system has been under construction for more than a year. functioned effectively. Russian Air Force “cautious”. For Milley, ensuring the efficiency of the defense of Ukrainian airspace is “the most critical thing right now”.
From the US came the announcement of yet another military aid package, the 36th, worth $325 million and including additional ammunition for mobile artillery missile systems (HIMARS); ammunition, missiles, anti-tank mines, among others. The country also received batteries from the air defense system Patriot.
But the US-made F-16s requested by President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team remain outside the plans. “I am sure we will have modern fighter jets, with NATO standards, as part of the air defense systems,” said Ukrainian minister Oleksii Reznikov, acknowledging that it will take time.
Reznikov signed an agreement with his counterparts from Germany, Boris Pistorius, and Poland, Mariusz Blaszczak, to establish a maintenance center for Leopard 2 tanks in Gliwice, in southern Poland.
Source: DN
