US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured Ukraine of continued US support and noted the steady progress of the Ukrainian military in liberating its territories. He made these statements at a meeting held in the Ramstein format.
"Ukraine is confidently moving forward and continues to liberate its territories from the entrenched Russian occupiers. This is a difficult and dangerous struggle, and we salute the incredibly brave Ukrainians who are risking their lives to repel Putin's aggressive army. The current battle only emphasizes the importance of security assistance from everyone here," the minister said.
He also added that his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov and his team will inform the allies on Ukraine's counteroffensive.
"We are here to go even deeper to cover Ukraine's most urgent needs, especially in air defense and ammunition. I look forward to hearing about the new support packages that many countries are preparing," Austin said.
The head of the department also assured that the United States will support Ukraine "as long as it takes."
"As I have said before, I firmly believe that our support for the forces of freedom in Ukraine will be unwavering at any time of the year and 'through any storm,'" the US Secretary of Defense added.
It should be noted that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky joined the meeting for the first time in person.
