[ad_1]
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin opened the meeting with the defense ministers of more than 40 countries at Ramstein’s US air base in Germany, expressing confidence that Ukraine could triumph against Russia in the conflict that has already entered its third month.
It was the Pentagon chief who organized the meeting after a visit to Kiev where he promised more military support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Lloyd Austin: As we see today, nations around the world stand united in their determination to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Ukraine clearly believes it can win and so we all believe here.
The U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, clarified that the main purpose of the talks is to coordinate the increase of aid to Kiev, which includes heavy weapons, as well as combat drones and ammunition.
He underlined that the coming weeks will be critical. The Ukrainians, Milley said, need continued support in order to be successful on the battlefield and that is the purpose of this conference.
After failing to take Kiev, Moscow shifted the focus of its offensive eastward, launching a ground offensive in the Donbas region. The United States also estimates that many Russian units have been weakened, with some losing about 30 percent of their troops, a level considered too high by the U.S. military to continue fighting.
According to British intelligence estimates, about 15,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the conflict, while 2,000 armored vehicles were destroyed, including about 530 tanks, as well as 60 helicopters and fighter jets.
top channel
[ad_2]
Source link
