He made the remarks at the Warsaw Security Forum 2025 on Monday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
Austin said that in his opinion, NATO needed to step up its efforts, recalling that at the NATO summit in The Hague, the vast majority of member states had demonstrated very clear support for Ukraine and agreed to increase their defense contributions to 5% of GDP.
He explained that 3.5% of this pledge would be directed toward core defense issues, while another 1.5% would go to infrastructure, calling it a major commitment that would provide significant resources not only to support Ukraine but, most importantly, to strengthen all NATO countries.
Read also: Drone production and sanctions: Sybiha meets with French Foreign MinisterAt the same time, he stressed that these resources should be used in the best possible way, with carefully planned procurement of necessary weapons systems and ammunition, mobilization of the industrial base, and coordinated efforts across the Alliance. If done properly, he said, this would make Europe stronger.
Speaking about Ukraine's current position, Austin said that more than three years into the war the country remained sovereign, continued to make its own decisions, and had preserved its democracy. He added that the United States and its partners wanted Ukraine to remain a democracy with the means to defend itself.
He also stressed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had so far failed to achieve any significant tactical or operational objectives, noting that in virtually all cases he had been unable to accomplish what he set out to do. Austin said this demonstrated both the will of the Ukrainian people and the determined support of Western nations.
Photo: X / WarsawSecurityForum
