The US defence secretary has said he expects Ukraine to launch an offensive against Russia in the spring and that western allies are doing everything to ensure it will have the weapons it needs
Speaking following two key meetings of defence ministers in Brussels, Lloyd Austin said western support for Kyiv would not falter, despite Ukraine running low on artillery ammunition.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius called on industry to ramp up production of shells in the face of Russia's renewed offensive in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.Germany has signed contracts with Rheinmettal to provide ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft defence systems which they have supplied to Kyiv.
Mr Austin said Ukraine would launch an offensive in the spring and the West would be able to meet its weapons needs.It was now a global pariah, he said, and the world remained inspired by Ukrainian resilience Some members see this as too low given the threat posed by Russia. Germany has yet to hit the target of 2%.The UK has already said it would train Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO-level jets, while France has said it has not ruled out supplying Mirage fighter planes.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russian forces claim gains along Ukraine frontlineRussia said its troops had pushed forward a few kilometres along the frontlines in Ukraine, while Kyiv said its forces had repelled Russian attacks in several areas.
Read more »
Warlord says Russia is gaining ground, as Ukraine claims it is inflicting heaviest losses of war so farHead of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group claims its fighters are gaining ground in Donetsk
Read more »
Russia says gas exports sank in 2022 but oil upThe EU, once the largest buyer of Russian gas, drastically reduced its imports during 2022 and in response to Russian intervention, Germany scrapped the approval for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would have deepened European reliance on Russian gas.
Read more »
Russian forces bombard Ukraine's BakhmutThe city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has endured heavy Russian artillery fire in an apparent prelude to a major new offensive as the first anniversary of the war neared.
Read more »
Russian forces bombard Ukraine's Bakhmut cityThe eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut endured heavy artillery fire today in what the NATO chief said appeared to be the start of a major new Russian offensive as the first anniversary of the war neared | Read more:
Read more »