The U.S. secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, has promised continued international support to Ukraine in the war against Russia.

Mr Austin said, “Our message today is clear: the United States will not let Ukraine fail, this coalition will not let Ukraine fail, and the free world will not let Ukraine fail.’’

Mr Austin said this on Tuesday at the start of a Ukraine conference at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

“Let’s not fool ourselves,’’ Mr Austin said on the 755th day of the war, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine. But as President Joe Biden said Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand by Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself.”

Ukraine would also be helped to build a future army, Mr Austin said, adding that “this will ensure long-term security.”

He spoke of capability coalitions, in which several countries work together on drones, for example.

“We will not let up,” Austin told the conference,” Mr Austin explained.

He had once again invited high-ranking military officers and defence ministers from around 50 member countries of the Ukraine Contact Group to the sixth conference in Ramstein.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, also taking part in the conference, warned on Tuesday against losing sight of Ukraine’s essential defence needs.

The minister said on broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday morning that sufficient artillery ammunition, longer-range missile artillery, and air defence were the truly existential issues.

Russia has been waging a war against neighbouring Ukraine since February 24, 2022.

The West is supporting Kyiv in its defence with extensive arms deliveries, among other things. 

(dpa/NAN)