Watch as US defence secretary Lloyd Austin delivers remarks ahead of Ukraine summit in Germany

Watch as US secretary of defense Lloyd J. Austin makes opening remarks before he hosts an in-person Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at Ramstein US Air Base in Germany on Tuesday 19 September.

The meeting of allies assisting Kyiv has been highly anticipated and comes as the United States explores the shipment of ATACMS longer-range missiles packed with cluster bombs to Ukraine.

Ukraine has also been pushing Germany to send similar Taurus missiles that could give them the ability to cause significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory, but Berlin has repeatedly said it will only act in concert with Washington on arms deliveries.

Ahead of the meeting, it was confirmed that German defence minister Boris Pistorius will not take part at the UDCG meeting due to Covid-19 infection.