“If he succeeds in unifying Ukraine, Russian President Putin will not stop,” said US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin

Berlin: US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin reaffirmed US support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s protracted battle, but he also cautioned that if Vladimir Putin is successful here, he won’t stop there. The US Department of Defence (DOD) released a statement after Austin called the 20th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. Austin emphasised that neither the US nor Ukraine would back down in the face of Russia’s invasion of their nation.

The gathering, which honoured the “countries of conscience” cooperating to support Ukraine in its struggle, was held at the German air base in Ramstein. In an effort to provide Ukraine with assistance, capabilities, and training, Austin and Air Force General CQ Brown, Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with representatives of over 50 nations and organisations.

According to Austin, “Ukraine’s forces have fought Putin’s aggression with defiance and skill for more than two years,” according to the DOD.

“Russia has borne a heavy price for Putin’s aspirations for empire. Speaking at the ceremony, he said, “At least 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded.”

According to the US Secretary of Defence, Moscow would have to pay USD 1.3 trillion for the war, and Russia has already spent USD 211 billion.

Austin said that since the invasion, Russia has squandered up to USD 211 billion on supplies, deployment, upkeep, and the continuation of its useless conflict with its neighbour. “Russia will lose USD 1.3 trillion in previously projected economic growth through 2026 as a result of Putin’s war of choice.”
He went on to say that the Ukrainian people “will not let Putin prevail” and that their country has been battling bravely against “Kremlin’s invaders.”

Austin said, “If Putin is successful in Ukraine, he will not stop there.” “Our partners and allies are here because they know what’s at stake.”

“And friends of Ukraine keep coming up with creative ways to make important new promises to give Ukraine the capabilities it desperately needs, particularly air defence, armour, and artillery ammunition.”

The US just said that it would provide Ukraine with an additional $300 million in security support. Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, savings in the replacement of US capabilities have allowed for the availability of this money. According to a statement released by the Department of Defence, Austin expressed his belief that a bipartisan agreement exists in Congress to approve an additional measure that would sustain US funding for Ukraine.

The capabilities coalition leadership group met for the first time during this contact group meeting. According to the secretary, the purpose of the meeting was to plan next steps for cross-cutting concerns and to discuss progress.

The countries that lead this category include the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland.