I expect Ukraine to conduct an offensive against Russia in the spring, the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday after a meeting with defense ministers of Ukraine’s allies in Brussels.

Noting that Ukrainian forces had used a lot of ammunition since the start of the Russian invasion, Austin said the members of the Alliance were ready to ensure that Ukrainian armed forces obtain “as much ammunition as quickly as possible.”

[email protected]: And at today's Contact Group, we joined again with our valued allies and partners to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs- when it needs it. pic.twitter.com/i2psB47gzX

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) February 14, 2023

A strategic, operational, and tactical loss

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair, Army General Mark Milley told reporters Russia has lost strategically, operationally, and tactically in its war in Ukraine.

⚡️General Milley: Russia lacks capacity for new attack on Kyiv.

"There is always the potential for missile attacks. Kyiv is the capital and an important goal (for Russia) in the war," said US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 14, 2023

Besides the battle tanks promised last month, Ukraine is also desperate for fighter jets and longer-range missiles to defend against a new Russian offensive.

However, according to the U.S. Defense Secretary, there are currently no signs Russia is massing aircraft for a potentially larger air attack.

Before the gathering, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there were no signs Putin was preparing for peace. “What we see is the opposite, he is preparing for more war, for new offensives and new attacks,” he told reporters.