Ramstein Air Base

The summit will become a monthly event aimed at rushing new arms to Ukrainian forces as they face off with Russian artillery, armor and missiles.

Russia floundered in its initial effort to seize control of Ukraine and its capital Kyiv and seemingly underestimated the Ukrainian military when it launched the unprovoked invasion on Feb. 24. "They've lost a lot of equipment. Seizing the Donbas is now Russia's stated goal in the war. On top of the commitments Tuesday, the U.S. has provided 90 155mm howitzer cannons, as well as training, Mi-17 helicopters, armored personnel carriers, radar systems, Switchblade drones, and the newly developed Phoenix Ghost drone. They've used a lot of precision-guided munitions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also made a veiled threat of using the world's most powerful weapons, putting his nuclear forces on heightened alert at the outset of the two-month-old war. The briefings today laid out clearly why the coming weeks will be so crucial for Ukraine. So we've got to move at the speed of war," Austin said. Nations were encouraged to work with the U.S. European Command on the logistics of moving weapons into the country. "Nobody wants to see a nuclear war happen. They've lost a major surface combatant," he said. Attendees at the summit included many European nations but also Australia, South Korea and Japan, according to Reuters. The two countries own the world's largest stockpiles of nuclear arms.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Defense leaders from over 40 nations amassed on a blustery April day in southwestern Germany, recruited by U.S. Defense ...

The U.S. military has also expanded its equipment delivery support from “a single path” to a “multi-modal effort,” including multiple routes over air, ground, and rail, they said. It has facilitated the delivery of equipment from over 40 nations to Ukraine. Vivienne Machi is a reporter based in Stuttgart, Germany, contributing to Defense News' European coverage. The intent is to include any nation that wants to contribute to the self-defense of Ukraine, and the monthly meetings will take place in different locations, the official added. Fifteen other partner nations – including NATO and non-NATO members – have provided staff stationed at the center, located at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, a senior defense official told reporters on Tuesday. Several nations, including Germany and Canada, announced new heavy weapons shipments to Ukraine over the course of the event.

The United States' top defense officials on Tuesday urged more nations to provide more weaponry, at a faster pace, to Ukraine as it prepares for the next ...

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Several other countries, such as Israel and Qatar, had representatives at the table, although they were not included on the official list of attendees. Putin said he has ordered no additional assaults on the plant, where the city’s last defenders are barricaded and civilians are sheltering. “We’ve been pretty clear from the outset,” Austin said at his news conference. First entered into U.S. service in 1981, Stingers have not been on the U.S. military purchase list for a number of years, with the production line all but closed down. Ukrainian Stinger operators are continually being trained in Germany, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Defense Department. “The outcome of this battle, right here, today, is dependent on the people in this room.” “We call it ‘free chicken,’” the official said. Outside the Ukraine meeting, U.S. and foreign officials outlined the changes Russia’s invasion has brought. Austin appealed for a sustained effort to protect Ukraine, telling reporters that Tuesday’s meeting will evolve into a monthly discussion to improve collaboration, transparency and understanding of what is required. Austin also addressed what the effort to aid Ukraine “will take from our defense industrial bases. “A nuclear war cannot be won and it shouldn’t be fought,” he said.