US defense chief asks allies to ‘dig deep’ in stocks to support Ukraine

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asked on Thursday allies to “dig deep” in stocks to provide military aid for Ukraine as the war with Russia continues.

Austin opened the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the platform of 31 NATO and 23 other countries supplying military aid for Ukraine, which is held on the margins of the two-day gathering of NATO defense ministers.

He welcomed the recent pledges and asked “the members of this contact group to continue to dig deep to provide Ukraine with the air defense assets and munitions” to protect its citizens from the Russian attacks.

He explained that the defense ministers will discuss the immediate needs of the Ukrainian army as well as long-term plans for training and ensuring interoperability.

The Netherlands and Denmark will also brief the defense chiefs on their program to train Ukrainian pilots to use F-16 fighter jets, while Germany and Poland will report on the supply of Leopard tanks.

“We will continue to provide Ukraine with the urgent capabilities that it needs to meet this moment as well as what it needs to keep itself secure for the long term from Russian aggression,” Austin said.