Austin to host meeting on Ukraine, meet with NATO defense ministers > US Department of Defense > Department of Defense News

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III will travel this week to Brussels where he will meet with the U.S.-led coalition committed to supporting Ukraine’s defense against the ongoing Russian invasion, the Secretary of Defense said today. Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, will mark the 23rd edition of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

“The Secretary and President will join defense ministers and senior military officials from nearly 50 countries to discuss the current crisis in Ukraine and the international community’s continued support to provide the Ukrainian people with the means necessary for defense of its sovereign territory,” Ryder said. ” he told reporters during a Pentagon briefing.

Ryder said the discussions will likely focus, in part, on continued efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, as well as efforts to strengthen the defense industrial base in Ukraine and across the country. the alliance.

Austin will also participate in a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO Headquarters on Friday.

These commitments follow Austin’s visit to France last week, where he and President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris.

The three leaders discussed U.S. efforts to address Ukraine’s urgent needs on the battlefield.

The president also announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine, valued at $225 million and including air defense interceptors, artillery munitions and other critical capabilities.

The latest provision is the sixth security assistance package announced by the United States since Biden signed a nearly $95 billion supplemental national security law in April. The supplement includes humanitarian aid and security funds for Israel and Taiwan in addition to Ukraine.

Ryder also said recent U.S. aid deliveries to Ukraine showed signs of success on the front lines, as evidenced by the slowing of the Russian offensive near Kharkiv.

The UDCG also undertook initiatives to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term defense through the formation of targeted capability coalitions.

Thirteen contact group members lead eight distinct capability coalitions designed to drive long-term Ukrainian force development. These coalitions focus on critical capabilities ranging from air defense to artillery.

In his remarks following last month’s UDCG meeting, Austin highlighted the United States’ continued commitment to Ukraine’s enduring security.

“The outcome in Ukraine is crucial for European security, for global security and for American security,” Austin said. “None of us would want to live in a world where dictators redraw borders by force and launch wars of aggression in an attempt to revive the empires of yesterday.

“So let me be clear: Ukraine’s partners are united,” he said. “We are determined. And we’re not going anywhere.”