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Poland, 19 other countries pledge new military aid to Ukraine

24.05.2022 08:30
Some 20 countries including Poland have pledged new military assistance to war-torn Ukraine, officials have said.
Polands Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak (right) takes part in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, on Monday, May 23, 2022.
Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak (right) takes part in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, on Monday, May 23, 2022.Twitter/Mariusz Błaszczak

The new security aid packages were announced after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, an international body that coordinates military assistance to Ukraine as it battles the Russian invasion, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

A total of 47 countries participated in the virtual get-together, which was chaired by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on Monday and followed on from the first meeting of the group, at Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany last month.

Attendees included Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.

Poland in new military donation to Ukraine

Austin told reporters after the meeting: “Today, several countries announced new donations of critically needed artillery systems and ammunition, including Italy, Greece, Norway and Poland.”

The US defence secretary added that Denmark would “provide a harpoon launcher and missiles to help Ukraine defend its coast.”

He said that in all, some 20 countries have announced new security assistance packages, including “critically needed artillery ammunition and coastal defence systems and tanks and other armoured vehicles.”  

Five more countries join Ukraine Defence Contact Group

Austin added that five new countries had joined the Contact Group: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Ireland and Kosovo. 

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who participated in the meeting, earlier briefed the Pentagon chief on his country’s priority requirements. These include long-range missiles, drones and bulletproof vests, Austin told the news conference.

He also announced that the coordinating body would next meet in mid-June, on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Belgium.

Tuesday is day 90 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, defense.govukrinform.net