Pentagon chief: Allies promised Ukraine US$95 billion worth of military aid since war started
On 20 May, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin launched the 22nd meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format), underlining the importance of ensuring a long-term supply of weaponry to Kyiv.
He said in his speech at the opening of Ukraine Defence Contact Group that the gathering of Ukraine's friends is taking place "at a moment of challenge," when Russian forces launched another attack, attempting to accomplish breakthroughs and trying to "carve out a buffer zone along the Ukrainian border."
"But Ukraine's defenders are showing extraordinary courage and skill. And they're putting the capabilities that this Contact Group has provided to good use", Austin continued.
Austin added that the US continues to provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine's Armed Forces and it has already satisfied many of Kyiv's priority needs, including ammunition for the NASAMS and Patriot air defence systems, HIMARS systems, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems.
"Together, we have now committed more than $95 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022," he announced.
The chief of the Pentagon stated that the meeting's priority will be air defence, as well as the issue of forming eight coalitions of assets and forces within the Contact Group to "build toward Ukraine's long-term security."
"I'm looking forward to hearing updates today from the maritime coalition and the integrated air and missile-defence coalition," Austin announced.
The meeting will bring together defence ministers and defence chiefs from around 50 nations to continue close collaboration in order to give Ukraine the resources it needs to protect its sovereign territory.
On 26 April, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the US was allocating US$6 billion in military aid under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which weapons are ordered from American manufacturers.
At the same meeting, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported on the situation at the front line, which was "tending to escalate".