Translated material
The US declared a threat to the existence of Ukraine
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Ukraine's existence is under threat. He made this statement at the next meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in the Ramstein format, trying to convince European allies that military assistance to Kyiv needs to be increased. Austin is quoted by Reuters.
“Today, Ukraine’s survival is at risk, as is America’s security. I leave here determined to maintain the flow of American military aid to Ukraine. This is a matter of survival and sovereignty for Ukraine, as well as a matter of honor and security for America,” the head of the Pentagon said at a press conference following the meeting. He did not specify how exactly Washington is going to support Kyiv without additional funding.
On March 19, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky appealed to allied states to supply additional air defense systems, Reuters notes. Over the past month, Russia has fired 130 missiles, more than 320 drones and nearly 900 guided bombs into Ukraine, Zelensky said.
Last week, the Biden administration said it would send $300 million in military aid to Ukraine. Reuters interlocutors among American officials do not exclude the possibility that they will be able to find additional funds to support Kyiv. But they fear it still won't be enough to make up for the lack of broader aid that has failed to be agreed upon in Congress.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed they would continue to support Ukraine. On Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced a €500 million aid package for Ukraine.
European support is becoming increasingly important for Kyiv, writes Reuters, as Biden fails to pass a $60 billion aid package to Ukraine through Congress. At the same time, his attention in the field of foreign policy is mostly focused on the war in Gaza, the agency notes.
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