US Secretary of Defense: Efforts to help Ukraine must intensify

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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urged on Monday allies and partners to intensify efforts to help Ukraine as he opened the second virtual meeting of the "Defense Contact Group" with 44 countries participating.

During his opening remarks at the meeting, Austin said, “Today, we are honored to have defense leaders from 44 countries with us, as well as representatives from NATO and the EU.”

“Now, as Ukraine's fight continues, our efforts must intensify and we must all plan for the challenges ahead. Ukrainian armed forces will need our sustained support,” he added.

Austin said he was especially pleased to see new countries taking part in the meeting, including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Ireland, and Kosovo.

The Pentagon chief underscored that a bill to provide $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, signed by US President Joe Biden last week, would provide an uninterrupted supply of military aid to the country amid the war with Russia.

Denmark will provide harpoon anti-ship missiles, launchers to Ukraine

Denmark is providing Ukraine with a Harpoon launcher and missiles to defend its coasts amid Russia's special military operation, the US pentagon chief said on Monday.

"[G]rateful to Denmark, which announced today that it will provide a harpoon launcher and missiles to help Ukraine defend its coast," Austin said during a press conference after the second meeting of the Ukraine "Defense Contact Group."

Third Ukraine "Defense Contact Group" meeting scheduled for June 15 in Brussels

The third meeting of the Ukraine "Defense Contact Group" will take place on June 15 in Brussels, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Monday.

"We'll convene the Contact Group for our third meeting next month and we'll gather in person this time on June 15 on the margins of the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels," Austin said during a press conference.

The first meeting of the Contact Group of more than 40 countries took place at Ramstein Air Base in Germany last month and was soon followed by Austin’s promise to organize such meetings on a monthly basis.

The latest $100 million US aid package for Ukraine was announced by Biden on May 19 and includes 18 155mm howitzers, 18 tactical vehicles, and three AN/TPQ-36 anti-artillery radars.

It is noteworthy that Sputnik quoted experts as saying that the Biden administration and the majority of Congress could face trouble in the midterm elections for wasting billions on a Ukraine supplies package in the name of supporting a corrupt regime in Kiev.

The news agency also quoted experts as saying that Washington's ambitions to give a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine might have consequences for the US economy, including increased inflationary pressure.