United States to help Ukraine get what it needs to defend its sovereignty – Pentagon chief

The relevant statement was made by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his visit to Thailand, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The U.S. is willing to provide everything and – and to help Ukraine be successful,” Austin told, answering the question whether the West is ready to meet Ukraine’s needs, i.e. to provide 1,000 more howitzers and 300 MLRS.

According to Austin, the United States has partners from around the globe that are willing to help Ukraine in meaningful ways.

“We’ve seen – you know, we – we’ve contributed a substantial number of howitzers and a significant amount of 155 ammunition already, along with so many other things. But other nations have contributed 155 howitzers, as well,” Austin noted.

In his words, the United States and other countries will continue to work to get as much as they can for Ukraine as fast as they can in order to help Ukrainians be successful.

This week the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be convened for the third time.

“We’ll hear directly from Ukrainian leaders led by my good friend and counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, and we’ll work to intensify our shared efforts to meet Ukraine’s priority requirements to defend itself if Russia renews its dangerous assault in the Donbas,” Austin said.

A reminder that Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak stated earlier that Ukraine would need 1,000 howitzers, 500 tanks, 300 multiple launch rocket systems and 2,000 armored vehicles to achieve heavy weapons parity with Russia and liberate Ukrainian territories from Russian invaders.

Photo: picture alliance / NurPhoto 

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