US defense chief to host Ukraine meeting in Brussels

WASHINGTON

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a meeting this week in Brussels of the coalition committed to backing Ukraine's defense against Russia's ongoing war, the Pentagon announced Monday.

"Secretary Austin and (US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman) Gen. (Charles Q.) Brown will travel to Brussels on Wednesday to host the 23rd Ukraine Defense Contact Group on June 13th," spokesman Pat Ryder told reporters.

They will join defense ministers and senior military officials from nearly 50 nations to assess the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the continued support from the international community to provide the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to defend their sovereign territory, Ryder said.

Austin will also participate in the NATO defense ministers' meeting Friday at NATO headquarters," he added.

US President Joe Biden on Friday signed an additional $225 million military package for Ukraine

The US has committed more than $51.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including more than $51.2 billion since the beginning of Russia's "unprovoked invasion" on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the Pentagon.