The German Defense Minister said that he does not believe in the imminent end of the conflict in Ukraine German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, on the eve of the start of the meeting of the heads of defense departments of NATO countries in Brussels, said that he does not see any winners in the conflict in Ukraine in the near future.
And the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, promised that the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance would help Kiev to launch a counteroffensive in the spring.
Germany's "restrained positions"
A meeting of the heads of defense departments of NATO countries in the "Ramstein" format is taking place in Brussels on Tuesday. Before the meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he doubted the possibility of ending the "war" in Ukraine in the near future.
"As for the combat situation, I adhere to restrained positions - I do not think that the end of the war is possible in a short time, so to speak. And I don't see a winner in the short term either," Pistorius said.
According to him, without the help of the North Atlantic Alliance, Ukraine will quickly run out of ammunition, so it is important to place the right emphasis and accelerate the supply of weapons to Kiev.
The head of the German Defense Ministry noted that any military clash always poses a threat of further escalation. Therefore, he is sure that when providing military assistance to Ukraine, it is necessary to take into account all the risks. The minister also warned against the constant "raising of the stakes" in the issue of the transfer of weapons to Kiev. He agreed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that "every step must be weighed."
Pistorius stressed that Berlin "has little understanding" from a diplomatic point of view to the proposals of Poland and Slovakia to supply Kiev with military aircraft.
Assistance in the spring counteroffensive
The meeting of the contact group on Ukraine in Brussels was opened by the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin. He stated that it is necessary to "integrate and synchronize" Western support.
"Today we will continue discussing the integration and synchronization of our support," he addressed the colleagues present.
The head of the Pentagon noted that "Ukraine has certain requests at this crucial moment." According to him, thanks to the coordination of Western countries in supporting Kiev at the front, "the situation is changing."
"All this help was the result of our unity and determination, but we need to do more," Austin said.
He stressed that Western countries should provide all the necessary military assistance to Ukraine for the success of its spring counteroffensive.
"Our contact group declares that it will continue to support Ukraine's struggle for freedom in the long term and will help Kiev maintain its advantage during the spring counteroffensive. Together and urgently, we will send Ukraine the promised support. In particular, we will direct resources to the training of the Ukrainian military. In April last year, the first meeting of the contact group for coordinating assistance to Ukraine took place, at this meeting we confirm our continued support for Kiev," the head of the US defense Department said.
According to him, during the year the United States and its allies in the North Atlantic Alliance transferred lethal weapons to Ukraine in the amount of almost $ 50 billion.
Austin also noted that only eight countries will supply German Leopard tanks to Ukraine - Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. The USA, Poland and the Czech Republic will also transfer tanks in addition to those already sent. In addition, according to the minister, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands will supply Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, and France and Italy will supply SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile systems.
According to Reuters, before the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, told reporters that it was "even more important" for Western countries to increase the supply of ammunition to Kiev.
"We don't see any signs that President Putin is preparing for peace. We see the opposite: he is preparing for a new war, for new offensives and new attacks," he said.
The Secretary General of the alliance clarified that at the meeting, representatives of the defense departments of NATO countries will consider "how to increase production in order to be able to supply the necessary ammunition to Ukraine and replenish their own stocks."
Maria Shustrova
