A total of 20 countries have already committed to fortifying Ukraine's armed forces with new security assistance packages, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday.
According to officials, Monday's virtual meeting of the "Ukraine Contact Group" ("UCG") included ministers and chiefs of defense from 47 countries, and served as the group's second such mini-summit since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24.
"Many countries are donating critically needed artillery ammunition, coastal defense systems and tanks and other armored vehicles," Austin told reporters at the Pentagon. "Others came forward with new commitments for training Ukraine's forces and sustaining its military systems."
According to Austin, the latest round of donated weapons came from diverse countries:
- Denmark: A "harpoon launcher" and missiles to "help Ukraine defend its coast."
- Czech Republic: "A recent donation of attack helicopters, tanks, and rocket systems," says Austin.
- Italy, Greece, Norway, and Poland: New donations of artillery systems and ammunition.
Also, Austin said that new UCG entrants, such as Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Ireland, and Kosovo, are eager to chip into the collective effort of helping Ukraine win its war with Russia.
"I'm deeply grateful to these countries and to all the countries that have stood up today," said Austin.
"In the short four weeks since the contact group convened at Ramstein [Air Base in Germany], the momentum of donations and deliveries has been outstanding. And after today's discussions, I'm pleased to report that we’re intensifying our efforts."
Austin also announced a third meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group on June 15. That session will be an in-person meeting in Brussels.
"Of course, it won't be a NATO event, but we want to keep up the tempo of these meetings, and I wanted to use my travel to Europe to ensure that we're building on our momentum," said Austin.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) currently consists of 30 nations — including the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Greece, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom.
The membership tally could increase to 32 countries in the coming weeks, with the reported additions of Sweden and Finland.
According to The New York Times, the United States has committed roughly $54 billion to Ukraine since March, as a means of helping the country fend off Russia's full-scale invasion.
The bulk of Ukraine-earmarked funds have gone to much-needed arsenals:
Weapons and other supplies — $12.5 billion
Economic Support Fund — $9.4 billion
U.S. military deployments and intelligence — $8.1 billion
Food assistance and health care — $7 billion
Military and security assistance — $6 billion
Grants and loans for military supplies — $4.7 billion
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