Ukraine's allies will work together to train Ukrainian forces and meet Ukraine's long-term needs, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said.

"The face of the war is changing and so is the mission of this contact group. We will work together to train Ukraine’s forces for the long haul. We will work together to help integrate Ukraine’s capabilities and bolster its joint operations for the long haul,” he said. “We will work together to upgrade our defense industrial basis to meet Ukraine’s requirements for the long haul, and we will work together for production and innovation to meet Ukraine's self-defense needs for the long haul," Austin said, opening the fifth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Thursday.

He said that during the meeting on Thursday they will also discuss the main stages of organizing an international training mission for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Austin said the contact group was created at a time when the free world was seeking to meet the most pressing needs of Ukraine, but today its work should be aimed at supporting the brave defenders of Ukraine for a long time.

Austin said it means a steady and determined flow of opportunity now and an urgent move to innovate and push all of our defense industrial bases to provide Ukraine with the tools it will need for the difficult path ahead. It also means renewing and deepening our resolve to support Ukraine with support and strength that does not depend on any particular call explained.

According to him, four months after the meeting of the first contact group, the war is going through another key moment.

Austin said Russian forces continue to brutally shell Ukrainian cities and civilians with rockets and artillery fire. But Ukrainian forces have launched their counter-offensive in the south of their country, and they are implementing the capabilities that we have all provided to help them fight and reclaim their sovereign territory.