Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defence, believes that Russia's special military operation in Ukraine is "at a critical stage", and therefore the West's support for Kyiv plays an important role.
European Pravda reported that Austin said this on Wednesday before the start of the fourth meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
"This is a critical phase of the conflict. And so our collective support for Ukraine is vital-and urgent. Russia thinks that it can outlast Ukraine—and outlast us. But that’s just the latest in Russia’s string of miscalculations. We stand united in our support. We stand firm in our commitment," the Pentagon chief emphasised.
Austin also said that the new package of security assistance to Ukraine, to be announced this week, includes four more HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems, plus ammunition for HIMARS and the howitzers previously transferred.
