WASHINGTON — For the first time since Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin created the International Group to Support Ukraine in April 2022, the United States will host the monthly meeting of about 50 cash-strapped countries unable to send the munitions and missiles that Ukraine needs to repel Russian forces. invasion.
As it waits for Congress to pass a budget and possibly approve more money for Ukraine’s fight, the US will look for allies to continue bridging the gap.
“I urge this group to dig deep to provide Ukraine with more life-saving air defense systems and ground-based interceptors,” Austin said in his opening statement from his home, where he is still recovering from surgery for prostate cancer. The broadcast’s opening statement marked the first public appearance by the 70-year-old Austin, who looked somewhat thin. Austin was hospitalized for two weeks after complications from the surgery.
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced in Brussels a new joint contract worth $1.2 billion for the purchase of more than 222,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition. This munition is among the most widely used in this conflict, and the contract will be used to replenish allies who have pushed their own reserves into Kiev.
“While we are unable to provide our security assistance at this time, our partners continue to do so,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday.
While the conflict between Israel and Hamas has dominated headlines since October, Russia’s bloody assault on Ukraine continues.
Russia launched a barrage of more than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft and guided missiles on Ukraine’s two largest cities on Tuesday, damaging apartment buildings and killing at least five people. The attack came a day after Moscow shunned any deal backed by Kiev and its Western allies to end the nearly two-year war.
Ukraine’s air defenses were able to intercept at least 21 of the missiles, but the attacks injured at least 20 people in four districts of Kiev, the capital.
Additional air defense systems and ammunition for them remain a top need for Ukraine, Singh said on Monday.
The Pentagon announced its latest security assistance to Ukraine on December 27, a $250 million package that included 155mm bullets, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and other high-demand items from existing US stockpiles.
The U.S. has not been able to supply additional ammunition since then, as money to replenish these stockpiles has run out and Congress must approve more funds.
More than $110 billion in aid for both Ukraine and Israel has been stalled due to disagreements between Congress and the White House over other policy priorities, including additional security for the U.S.-Mexico border.
The meeting was virtual because Austin is still recovering at home.
The US has provided more than $44.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. About $23.6 billion of that was drawn from existing military stockpiles, and nearly $19 billion was sent in the form of longer-term military contracts, for supplies that take months to obtain. So even though the funds run out, some previously purchased weapons will continue to flow in. The US State Department has provided an additional $1.7 billion in foreign military financing.
The U.S. and about 30 international partners also continue to train Ukrainian forces, having trained a total of 118,000 Ukrainians to date in locations around the world, said Col. Marty O’Donnell, spokesman for U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
The United States has trained about 18,000 of these fighters, including about 16,300 soldiers in Germany. About 1,500 additional fighters are currently undergoing training.
