Deliveries of new weapons to Ukraine announced at Ramstein-3 meeting

DW:  At the third meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine , also called the "Ramstein format," the defense ministers and chiefs of the general staffs of the armies of about 50 countries discussed the provision of new weapons to Kiev. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley announced the provision of new military assistance at a press conference in Brussels, according to a DW correspondent.

US and other countries will provide Ukraine with more artillery

"The United States will provide an additional $1 billion security assistance package to Ukraine," Lloyd Austin said. According to him, the new package will include 18 M777 howitzers and vehicles for towing them, as well as 46,000 155 mm rounds for them. Ukraine will also receive guided missiles for multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

$650 million of this package will go to a separate fund that will allow Ukraine to receive two more Harpoon coastal defense systems, as well as thousands of secure walkie-talkies, night vision devices, thermal imagers and optical sights.

"We heard serious announcements this afternoon about new defense aid packages for Ukraine ," Austin added. He did not list them all, but indicated that additional artillery would be supplied by a number of other countries, including Canada, Poland and the Netherlands. "Let me also thank Slovakia for announcing a significant donation of Mi-series helicopters and urgently needed rockets," the Pentagon chief said.

Germany will give Ukraine three MLRS

At the Ramstein-3 meeting, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced the allocation of three MARS II multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine. The package will also include "many hundreds" of missiles for them, spare parts and training of the Ukrainian military. According to Lambrecht, the training of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the use of MARS II could begin as early as June. And the systems themselves will be handed over to Ukraine in late July - early August, since we are talking about systems from the stocks of the Bundeswehr, she said, answering a question from a DW correspondent.

In total, ten MLRS units have already been promised to Ukraine: four HIMARS from the US , three M270s from the UK, and three MARS IIs from Germany.

Mark Milli: HIMARS for Ukraine is just the beginning

Journalists nevertheless asked the question that all the weapons transferred plus those promised to Kyiv are still much less than the weapons that the Russian troops have.

"The numbers are in favor of the Russians," Mark Milley admitted. He mentioned the current public estimates of the ratio between Ukrainian and Russian artillery: 5 to 1, 10 to 1 and even 20 to 1. But the general refused to give the true data, since they are classified. At the same time, Milli pointed to the big problems of the Russian troops , in particular with logistics, morale, and command.

The chairman of the committee of chiefs of staff said that at the Ramstein-3 meeting, Ukraine was promised additional artillery units. “We are talking, probably, about 300-400 artillery pieces, and this is barreled, not rocket artillery, which in total will be provided to the Ukrainians. In addition to this, long-range rocket artillery will be supplied. HIMARS is just the beginning,” Milli promised , answering a question from a DW correspondent.

Lloyd Austin, in turn, promised that the countries participating in the meetings in the "Ramstein format" would continue to provide Ukraine with weapons "for as long as necessary."

"General Milli and I have been in more than one battle. And when you are at war, you are always not enough, you always think that you need more ... We do not think that we will be able to fulfill all the needs (of Ukraine in weapons. - Ed. ) tomorrow, and after two weeks, the needs will probably change a little," the minister said, adding that he is fighting hard to give Ukraine everything it needs.