US defence minister calls for stepping up support for Ukraine

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, opening the meeting of the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group in the Ramstein forum in Germany, urged allies to intensify their assistance for Ukraine and not slow down, as this is a decisive moment for Ukraine and a decisive decade for the world.

"Ukraine has been fighting bravely to defend its people, its sovereignty, and its freedom. And countries from around the world have condemned Russia's atrocities and aggression and stood up for an open world of rules and rights ... More than a year later, Ukraine is still standing strong. Our support has not wavered. And I'm proud of the progress that we have made together," Austin said, according to Pentagon's press service.

He also greeted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who was sitting next to him at the table, and noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would join the meeting participants online in a few minutes.

"Now, at today's Contact Group, we'll focus on three key areas: air defence, ammunition, and enablers. Ukraine urgently needs our help to shield its citizens, infrastructure, and forces from Russia's missile threat," Austin noted.

Austin added that the participants are at Ramstein because they are determined to step up efforts.

"Now, earlier this week, the United States announced our 36th Presidential Drawdown of security assistance for Ukraine, valued at $325 million. We've now provided more than $35 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began. In this latest package, we've included more ammunition for HIMARS, additional 155-millimetre and 105-millimetre artillery rounds, and important anti-armour capabilities. And every step of the way, we remain focused on ensuring the accountability of our assistance, along with our Ukrainian partners," the Pentagon chief said.