Americas

Home page

Americas

US will support Ukraine's self-defense for as long as it takes, US Secretary of Defense says

20 January 2023 17:50 (UTC +04:00)

"Some 50 countries have stepped up to help Ukraine defend itself and deter future threats," said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the 8th meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group held at the Ramstein air base in Germany, APA reports.

"When Putin launched his reckless and unprovoked invasion 11 months ago, he thought that Ukraine would collapse. And he thought that the world would just look away. But Putin didn't count on the courage of the Ukrainian people.

This is a decisive moment for Ukraine in a decisive decade for the world. So make no mistake. We will support Ukraine's self-defense for as long as it takes.

Russian forces have targeted power plants, theaters, sports arenas, and centers of Ukrainian history and culture. Russia's attacks are designed to break the spirit of Ukraine. But they have failed," the US Secretary of Defense stated.