AUSTIN: ‘KREMLIN STILL BETTING IT CAN WAIT US OUT’: Today’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, comprised of more than 50 countries that supply both military and financial aid to Ukraine’s war effort, has taken on added urgency as Russia has poured tens of thousands of reinforcements into the eastern Donbas region in preparation for an expected major assault.

“Today’s meeting comes at a critical time. The Kremlin is still betting that it can wait us out,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in opening comments this morning in Brussels. “But one year on, we are as united as ever, and that shared resolve will help sustain Ukraine’s momentum in the crucial weeks ahead and help Ukraine travel the challenging road that lies beyond.”