Forty countries gathered in Germany to support Ukraine
As Russia aims for full control of southern Ukraine and the Donbass region, some 40 countries are meeting today at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, at the invitation of the United States , in order to “generate additional capabilities for the Ukrainian forces”said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin yesterday.
“They can win if they have the right equipment, the right support”he underlined after a trip to kyiv on Sunday, during which he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accompanied by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The United States, which provides the bulk of international military aid to Ukraine, wants “give them the type of support, the type of artillery and ammunition that will be effective at this stage of the fight”said the head of the Pentagon at a press conference in Poland, not far from the Ukrainian border.
Kyiv is mostly clamoring for heavy artillery and armor in an attempt to repel Russian forces on the vast southern and eastern plains of the country, but the Russian-made equipment Ukrainian forces have been trained on is becoming scarce. Some Eastern European countries that still have them in stock send them to kyiv, sometimes in exchange for new-generation American weapons. The head of the Pentagon and Antony Blinken thus spoke to the press from a warehouse where tons of humanitarian and military aid were piled up ready to be loaded onto trucks for their transfer to Ukraine.
The United States, which at the start of the Russian invasion limited its shipments to weapons “defensive”began to send American-made heavy armaments, such as howitzers and various armored vehicles, to kyiv. “We are talking with colleagues from other countries to get the same kind of armament, and we are getting early signs that many countries are going to volunteer”, assured the head of the Pentagon. France has already announced that it is sending Caesar guns with a range of 40 kilometers, and the United Kingdom has donated Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and armored vehicles.
The meeting is also intended to ensure Ukraine’s longer-term security once the war is over.
“It’s mostly about modernization and making sure their military is still strong and able to function in the future. It is not a question of security guarantees, but of their real military device”said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Friday.
This meeting is not taking place within the framework of NATO, even if the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, is to take part. “NATO as an alliance does not provide military aid to Ukraine, so this is not done within NATO at all”said Mr. Kirby.
Among the 40 invited countries are the European allies of the United States, but also more distant countries such as Australia and Japan which fear that a Russian victory in Ukraine will set a precedent and encourage the territorial ambitions of China. Finland and Sweden, traditionally neutral countries that have been considering NATO membership since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, are also on the guest list.