More Weapons for Ukraine, as Europe and the US are preparing for a long war

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced President Joe Biden’s approval of the transfer of $675 million worth of U.S. military capabilities to Ukraine The focus of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany is on the long-term assistance to the nation in the wake of the Russian invasion.

Austin was the one to call the in-person session of the group and said that more than 50 nations that are part of the group are determined to boost the effort to aid Ukraine.

Austin told the group that President Joe Biden had approved the latest tranche of U.S. assistance to Ukraine. This is the 20th drawdown of equipment from U.S. stocks for Ukraine since August 2021.

“The latest package includes more , 105-millimeter howitzers, artillery ammunition and , Humvees, armored ambulances, anti-tank systems, small arms and more,” he stated. “And since our last meeting in July, many allies and partners have come forward with their own important new deliveries of advanced radars, tanks, and armored personnel carriers.”

Austin and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister and Lt. Gen. Yevhen Moisiuk, Ukrainian deputy chief of defense prior to the group’s meeting. The Ukrainians presented updates on the fighting conditions in Ukraine and their military requirements.

It is the fifth gathering of the contact group, which held its first meeting at Ramstein in April. At that moment, Ukraine had stopped Russian attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. Kyiv.

“In late April, Russia shifted to massive artillery strikes against sovereign Ukrainian territory in the Donbas,” Austin said in his opening remarks. “And this contact group responded swiftly to the changing character of Russia’s war of choice.”

The United States committed unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine including Stinger anti-aircraft systems and armored personnel carriers. launchers for grenades, Mi-17 helicopters body armor, as well as millions of rounds of ammunition for small arms.

The secretary highlighted the exchange of howitzers as an example of the aid flowing into Ukraine. “In April, the United States delivered our first batch of M-777 howitzers — introducing NATO-standard artillery pieces to Ukraine for the first time,” he said. “Today, the United States has delivered 126 of those howitzers. And along with countries around the world, we’ve increased the number of howitzer systems for Ukraine’s defenders by more than 18-fold.” This has helped to stop the Russian offensive in the Donbas region.

Since then, new capabilities including 26 long-range rocket artillery systems and the associated guided multiple launch rockets have arrived.

“All these capabilities have demonstrably helped Ukraine fight back against Russia’s aggression,” he declared. “And they have enabled Ukraine to resist Russia’s ongoing onslaught. So we have come a long way by working together.”

However, more must be done. Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities as well as civilians with missiles and artillery fire. However, the nature of the conflict is shifting and Ukrainian forces have launched an offensive to counterattack Russia in the southern region of the country, the secretary added.

“They are integrating the capabilities that we all have provided to help themselves to fight and reclaim their sovereign territory,” Austin said. “Today, this contact group needs to position itself to sustain Ukraine’s brave defenders for the long haul.”

The world must provide Ukraine the capabilities it requires to fight today but it also needs the means and resources to protect the country in the future and deter Russia. “It means moving urgently to innovate, and to push all of our defense industrial bases to provide Ukraine with the tools that it will need for the hard road ahead,” Austin said. “We’re here because we refuse to live in a world where big powers trample borders by force. Our support for Ukraine’s bedrock right to defend itself doesn’t waver based on any given clash.”

The conflict in Ukraine is changing, according to the secretary, “and so is the mission of this Contact Group.”

The secretary added that the group must think about long-term aid for Ukraine. “We’ll work together to train Ukraine’s forces for the long haul,” he declared. “We’ll work together to help integrate Ukraine’s capabilities and bolster its joint operations for the long haul. We’ll work together to upgrade our defense industrial bases to meet Ukraine’s requirements for the long haul. And we’ll work together for production and innovation to meet Ukraine’s self-defense needs for the long haul.”

Ukraine has made progress in its fight against a much larger adversary. “And every day, we see the resolve of the allies and partners worldwide who are helping Ukraine resist Russia’s illegal, imperial and indefensible war of conquest,” he said. “And we must evolve as the fight evolves.”

There have been significant contributions from other nations. Britain has donated 2.3 billion pounds of military equipment to Ukraine. Germany as well as Denmark have both announced significant aid packages to the military. Poland — a frontline state facing Russia — has transferred three battalions of 155mm self-propelled howitzers into Ukraine.