As friends from 40 countries gathered in Kyiv to strengthen Kyiv’s defense against Moscow, the US promised to move “heaven and earth” to assist Ukraine win its war against Russia’s unjustified invasion.
The United States convened the meeting at its Ramstein airbase in southwestern Germany with the goal of “assisting Ukraine in winning the fight against Russia’s unjust invasion and strengthening Ukraine’s defenses for future challenges,” according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who opened the talks.
“Ukraine clearly believes that it can win and so does everyone here,” he added.
The US is already the biggest supplier of international military aid to Ukraine and Austin said Washington is “going to keep moving heaven and earth so that we can meet” Kyiv’s needs.
During the talks, German Minister Of defense Christine Lambrecht said that Berlin had agreed to allow the sale of old Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine.
The shift away from Germany’s cautious support for Kyiv, which has landed Chancellor Olaf Scholz in hot water at home and abroad, represented a watershed moment.
Lambrecht acknowledged that the Bundeswehr’s weapons stockpile is modest, but that it will rely on the inventories of Germany’s weaponry manufacturers.
“Ukraine orders and Germany pays,” she said.
Kyiv has been asking for heavy artillery and tanks to repel Russian forces trying to seize complete control of its vast southern plains and the eastern region of Donbas.
But the Russian-made equipment, which Ukrainians have been trained to use, is now rare.
Some countries in eastern Europe which still had stocks have sent them to Kyiv, sometimes in exchange for newer generation US equipment.
