No lessening of solidarity of Ukraine Defence Contact Group members: Lloyd Austin

Washington [US]: The members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group remain unified in support of Kyiv in the ongoing conflict with Russia, United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday.

The Secretary of Defence, and Army General Mark A Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were speaking to the press about the virtual meeting of 50 nations committed to supporting Ukraine in its ongoing conflict against Russia, the US Department of Defence (DOD) stated in a statement. “Today, we recommitted to supporting Ukraine during this crucial counteroffensive and for the long haul,” Austin said.

“This is no time to slow down. The United States and our allies and partners have moved mountains to provide Ukraine with critical air defence systems, munitions and more. Coming out of today’s meeting, I’m grateful to all of our allies and partners for their commitment and their clarity.”

The secretary said contact group members have dug deep in their military stocks to provide Ukraine with critical military equipment and ammunition. These capabilities support “Ukraine’s sovereign right to live free today and for the future”.

According to the US DOD, the contact group members discussed plans to ramp up production at both national levels and the multinational level through the European Union’s important initiative to produce more ammunition.

The group also heard from representatives from Denmark and the Netherlands who led the effort to train and supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter capability.

Austin further emphasised that Russian President Vladimir Putin “badly miscalculated” when he invaded Ukraine last year, adding that three of his blunders are especially clear today.

“First, Putin thought that he could take Kyiv in days and force a new government of Russian puppets on the Ukrainian people,” he said. “But Ukraine chose to fight back. Ukrainian armed forces have defended their country with courage and skill.”.

“Second, Putin bet that the world would just live with his cruel assault on Ukraine. But Russia’s aggression and atrocities have shocked the world including even Moscow’s long-term partners,” Austin said.

“Putin’s final miscalculation [is] he thought that Ukraine’s friends would waver or flee. Instead, nations of goodwill from around the world have stood up for Ukraine’s sovereign right to defend itself. And by joining together, we have achieved something extraordinary. And today this contact group stands as united and firm as ever,” he added.

Army General Milley while talking about Ukraine’s counteroffensive said that many critics are concerned that Kyiv’s military operations are not successful enough and worry that a stalemate might be developing.

“We are reminded that real war is not war on paper: Real war is unpredictable,” the general said. “It’s filled with fear, fog and friction. Real war is brutal.”
He further said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be slow. Ukrainian service members are fighting their way through dense Russian minefields and obstacles.

Meanwhile, there are robust Ukrainian reserve forces waiting to be committed at the optimal time in a place of Ukraine’s choosing, the general said.

“The Ukraine contact group’s assistance goes beyond mere words or symbolic gestures,” Milley said. “We are committed to helping them where it matters most.”
The group has trained 17 brigade combat teams, 63,000 Ukrainian troops and training continues, the DOD stated.

The training includes “individual non-commissioned officers and officers and staff training along with artillery, air defense, artillery, engineers, logistics, medical and of course putting it all together in combined arms maneuver at night,” Milley said. “This training has developed tangible skills that have helped create capable Ukrainian leaders and units that are having a measurable impact on the battlefield today.”