JAKARTA - Russia's invasion of Ukraine stands at a pivotal moment, with the United States and its allies unable to lose focus on the three-month-old conflict, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
Minister Austin was speaking at a meeting of dozens of defense ministers on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) ministers. This is the third time the group of nearly 50 countries has met to discuss and coordinate aid to Ukraine.
It is known that Ukraine needs 1.000 howitzers, 500 tanks and 1.000 drones among other heavy weapons, adviser to Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podolyak said Monday. While Western countries have promised standard NATO weapons, including advanced US rockets.
But distributing the equipment takes time, and Ukraine will need consistent Western support to transition to new supplies and systems as their stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and ammunition dwindle.
"We must not give up and we must not lose heart. The stakes are too high," Austin said at the start of the meeting in Brussels, Belgium.
"Ukraine is facing a crucial moment on the battlefield. Russia is using its long-range fire to try to control Ukraine's position," he said.
Earlier, the White House announced about $1 billion worth of new weapons for Ukraine on Wednesday, including the Harpoon coastal defense system and ammunition for the advanced artillery and rocket system (HIMARS).
Meanwhile, Germany will supply Ukraine with three MARS II dual rocket launchers, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said, adding that training of Ukrainian troops would begin in the coming weeks.
Prior to the start of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies would continue to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons and long-range systems, hoping they would agree on a new aid package to Kyiv at a NATO summit later this month.
"Sometimes this effort takes time. That's why it's important to have a meeting like we did today, to meet with Ukrainian representatives to identify the challenges and issues they want to raise with us when," Stoltenberg said.
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The United States has provided about $5.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24, including artillery systems such as howitzers and long-range weapons such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
"Russia has not given up the fighting, despite its fairly sluggish progress. What we have is this gradual, slow, gradual Russian operation," said a senior US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"So the question is, what does Ukraine need to continue the success they have achieved in slowing and thwarting Russia's goals, that will be the main focus for defense ministers."
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