“Ramstein” meeting begins in Germany

On Friday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin opened a regular meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s defense in the Ramstein format.

He stressed that the Allies needed to maintain Ukraine’s self-defense as long as necessary.

According to him, Russia remains committed to war.

“This is a crucial moment. Russia is regrouping, recruiting and trying to re-equip [its forces]. This is not a moment to slow down. It’s time to dig deeper. The Ukrainian people are watching us. The Kremlin is watching us. And history is watching us. So we won’t let up. And we won’t waver in our determination to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s imperial aggression,” Austin said, according to European Truth.

The Head of the Pentagon notes that Russia remains committed to aggression and conquest, Russian forces have intensified their terrible attacks, killing many innocent Ukrainians.

“We saw the cruelty of Russia’s war choice again just a few days ago in the city of Dnipro,” he said.

It’s always a pleasure meeting with my 🇺🇦 Ukrainian counterpart & friend, Minister @oleksiireznikov. We’re proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you, our partners & allies to support Ukraine’s self-defense. A collective of nearly 50 nations of goodwill are united behind you. pic.twitter.com/idyjwvJJtB

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) January 20, 2023

Austin added that “this is a decisive moment for Ukraine in a decisive decade for the world,” thus the United States would “support Ukraine’s self-defense as long as it takes.”

He underlined that Russia’s attacks were meant to break the spirit of Ukraine, but “they failed, and the people of Ukraine inspired the world.”

In his video address to the participants of the Contact Group President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the partners to accelerate the provision of weapons to Ukraine and provide longer-range missiles and F-16 fighter jets.

“I could express my gratitude to you hundreds of times, and it would be absolutely fair and honest, given everything we have already done. However, hundreds of thanks are not hundreds of tanks. Each of us might say thousands of words, but I cannot replace these words with either the guns that are required against Russian artillery or the anti-aircraft missiles that are needed to protect people from Russian air strikes,” Zelensky said.

He concluded his conference speech with a call for the next Allied gathering to provide longer-range missiles and F-16 fighter jets.

“It is in your power to guarantee artillery and aircraft that will destroy terror. It is in your power to ensure victory,” the President of Ukraine said.