Today, March 19, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin opened the 20th meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense (in the Ramstein format), UNN reports.
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The meeting takes place at the US military base Ramstein in Germany.
Austin, who is making his first overseas trip since undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, is chairing a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, with about 50 allies providing military support to Ukraine.
At the opening of the Ramstein meeting on Tuesday, the Pentagon chief promised that the United States would continue to support Ukraine, even if the US Congress remains deadlocked over funding for additional weapons to the front, The Washington Post reports.
"The United States will not let Ukraine fail," said Austin, addressing more than 50 defense leaders from Europe and around the world. "This coalition will not let Ukraine fail. And the free world will not let Ukraine fail."
In his opening remarks, Austin said Russia has paid a "staggering cost" for the war, repeating estimates that at least 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the war, which has cost up to $211 billion.
"Ukraine’s troops face harsh conditions and hard fighting. And Ukraine’s civilians endure a constant barrage of Russian missiles and Iranian drones," said Austin. "But Ukraine won’t back down. And neither will the United States."