U.S. military assistance allowed the Armed Forces of Ukraine to slow down the advance of Russian troops in Kharkiv region, as well as to hold the line of defense, Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder said on Monday, June 10.

“The Russians really slow down in terms of the progress that they were making near Kharkiv, you know, demonstrates that, A, the Ukrainians can continue to, you know, hold the line, and B, that that assistance is getting to them,” he said.

“We recognize there's a lot more to do in terms of getting much needed aid to them but we're going to keep after it,” Ryder stressed.

According to him, a regular meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format will be held this week, at which further assistance will be discussed, in particular, strengthening the air defense and defense industrial capacities of Ukraine and the allied countries.