Pentagon Press Conference Underway Shortly

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder will shortly brief reporters from the Department of Defence.

• Livestream: https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events/#/?currentVideo=30963
• The presser comes ahead of a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly where Cleverly is expected to push Blinken to follow the UK's lead in sending battle tanks to Ukraine.
• Yesterday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley visited two sites in Germany used by the US as training facilities for Ukrainian troops.
• Milley said of the programme: “This is not a run-of-the-mill rotation. This is one of those moments in time where if you want to make a difference...”
• US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman led a high-level Biden administration and Congressional delegation to Kyiv, Ukraine yesterday to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and, “reaffirm the United States’ strong and steadfast commitment to Ukraine..."
• The delegation also made stops in Germany and Poland to review US security assistance to Ukraine.
• Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will host the next meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Germany on Friday where a final decision on tanks may be made.