Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to discuss the ongoing war effort in Ukraine and details of the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in September.
“During their call, Secretary Umerov provided an update on the impact of ongoing Russian attacks in Ukraine,” Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder, a major general of the Air Force, said at a briefing today. “Secretary Austin and the Secretary also discussed the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which will take place next month, to support Ukraine’s urgent security assistance needs.”
The UDCG, led by Austin, met for the first time in Germany in April 2022 and has met monthly since then. The group is a way for the more than 50 participating nations to coordinate their assistance to Ukraine and focus on the country’s future defense needs.
In addition to coordinating efforts to supply Ukraine with urgently needed military materials, the UDCG is also exploring better ways to expedite the delivery of these materials.
“We are always looking for ways to accelerate the delivery of capabilities to the Ukrainians,” Ryder said. “The Ukraine Defense Contact Group provides an excellent forum for discussion and consideration of processes and procedures to ensure Ukrainians have everything they need on the battlefield to defend themselves.”
Ryder said the U.S. has placed emphasis on rapid delivery of systems to Ukraine from the beginning. In November 2022, for example, the U.S. established the Ukraine Security Assistance Group in Wiesbaden to better coordinate the training and equipping of Ukrainian forces and help them better understand their situation.
With more than 50 nations participating in the UDCG, supporting Ukraine is a complex undertaking, Ryder said – and the Department of Defense will continue to maintain this endeavor.
“This is a work in progress,” he said. “The fact that Russian forces continue to conduct offensive actions in eastern Ukraine shows that we also recognize the importance of moving as quickly as possible, so we will continue to work on this.”
