< /p> Illustration photo – US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in Brussels on February 14, 2023.
Brussels – Ukraine could launch an offensive against Russian forces in the spring and allies will continue to supply it with the required weapons. After today's meeting of the contact group for Ukraine, this was stated by the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who led the meeting preceding the early evening meeting of the defense ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance.
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Today in Brussels, representatives of the governments of NATO countries and other allies of Ukraine are addressing the question of how to speed up support for the Ukrainian army facing Russian attacks in the east of the country while not endangering its own dwindling ammunition stocks. According to Austin, it can be expected that in the spring the Ukrainian army will decide on its own offensive.
“Ukraine wants to set up a position. We expect them to launch an offensive sometime in the spring,” Austin told reporters. He already stated before the meeting that Russia is persisting under pressure with the mistaken assumption that the allies' support for Ukraine will wane over time. According to him, the alliance and other partners are still united.
The head of the Pentagon recalled the arms deliveries jointly promised by a number of NATO member countries, among which are the American Patriot anti-aircraft systems, the German Leopard 2 tanks and the older T 72 tanks, which were promised the Czech army to deliver 90 after renovation ensured by the USA and the Netherlands. The Allies have promised Ukraine almost 50 billion dollars (1.1 trillion crowns) in weapons since the beginning of the war, but they must further strengthen their efforts, Austin added.
New deliveries were announced today by Norway, which will provide Kiev with eight Leopards. Germany, in turn, signed a contract for the production of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft systems, which Ukraine does not have enough of for these machines supplied by Berlin. but wants to discuss with the US and other partners. So far, the Ukrainian leadership has been asking Western partners for fighter jets in vain. According to Austin, the allies have not agreed on any specific publicized steps on the matter today.
