“The alternatives are much worse”

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He affirms that “no responsible leader would let Putin get away with this” in Ukraine, a few days before Trump assumes the US presidency

BRUSSELS, Jan. 9 () –

The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has claimed this Thursday the continuity of the Ramstein format with which a coalition of more than 50 countries provides military support to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, ensuring that any alternative to assisting kyiv “is much worse”.

“This coalition must continue to unconditionally support Ukraine and strengthen its position in the negotiations that will one day end Putin’s monstrous war. That path is difficult, but all the alternatives are much worse,” he assured at the end of the meeting in Ramstein air base, Germany.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was with him at the last meeting of the forum before Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which puts in check his continuity in particular, as well as the level of support for Ukraine in general.

Faced with doubts about the continuity of this forum, Austin has defended that the coalition launched by the United States to coordinate support for Ukraine has a structure “built to succeed, to adapt and to last”, although he has left in in the hands of the next administration the decision to continue bringing together this group of countries.

In his opinion, the need for the international community to respond to Russian aggression in Ukraine remains valid. “Three years ago, I called Putin’s war senseless, reckless and illegal. It remains that way,” he concluded, defending that the Ramstein format has “held high the torch of security and freedom” in the face of the Russian invasion. .

“NO RESPONSIBLE LEADER WOULD LET PUTIN HAVE HIS WAY”

In this sense, a few days before Trump assumes the presidency of the United States again, the North American Secretary of Defense has stressed that “no responsible leader would let Putin get away with this” in Ukraine, insisting that Washington must act now that “peace does not execute by itself, order does not preserve by itself and security does not expand by itself.”

For Austin, this format is relevant to the United States, Europe and the world and he has claimed that it has broad support in the US Congress on both the Republican and Democratic sides.

“It is up to the future administration to make its decisions. Today I heard my colleagues repeatedly say that this forum is important and has served its purpose well. We will see what happens. It is not the only format but they believe it is an important forum,” has gone deeper.

This Thursday the Ramstein air base, in Germany, hosted a new meeting of the contact group that coordinates military support to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. The 25th meeting was the last one attended by the US Secretary of Defense, promoter of the initiative in April 2022.