(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 20 GEN - It is a decisive moment for
Ukraine and for the whole world." Thus U.S. Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin, opened the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine
this morning in Ramstein.
"We meet in a very difficult and turbulent time, but we sense
determination and unity here," he continued. "This is the time
not to give in. We will not quit, we will not delay and we will
not hesitate in helping Ukraine," he concluded.
While Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky pressed, "We do not
have time. Time is a determining factor. We need to act fast. We
need defensive and combat panzers. Every weapon counts."
Italy will do its part. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto
assured this during a conversation on the sidelines of the
Ramstein summit with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "I
reiterated to Stoltenberg that Italy, among the leading players
in the Atlantic Alliance, will continue to support Ukraine and
its people. We will continue to do our part," the minister
tweeted.
Moscow: 'West deludes itself'. Austin's words about aid to
Kiev immediately provoked the Kremlin's reaction: the West is
"deluding itself" about a possible victory for Ukraine,
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Western tanks will not change
anything on the ground."
The Wagner mercenary group of mercenaries numbers up to
50,000 fighters in Ukraine, has become a key component of the
conflict, and is likely aiming to maximize the goal of its
founder Yevgeny Prigozhin as well as further legitimize the
increasingly high-profile organization. This was stated by
Britain's Ministry of Defense intelligence in a Twitter post.
Prigozhin, who admitted that he only founded Wagner in September
2022 and opened an official office in St. Petersburg the
following month, is very close to Russian President Vladimir
Putin. (ANSA).
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U.S., decisive moment for Ukraine and the whole world
Zelensky, we need panzers, we're running out of time