U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced work with allies on "coalitions of opportunity" for military support of Ukraine, along the lines of those created to transfer Leopard tanks to Kyiv and train pilots on F-16 fighters.

"Now, we're also here to discuss how to balance our immediate support to defend Ukraine with our longer-term assistance. The next step forward in our long-term vision will be working with our fellow Contact Group members to organize what we're calling 'capability coalitions.' These coalitions will be responsible for coordinating contributions from coalition members for each major capability area," Austin said, opening the 16th meeting of Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format) in Brussels on Wednesday.

The minister said the allies had already created "capability coalitions," such as on Leopard tanks for Ukraine and training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16.

"But now, we're taking this concept a bit further. We're asking countries to organize coalitions focused on wider capabilities, beyond just specific platforms. Just as this Contact Group surged capabilities to support Ukraine's immediate needs, we will also organize ourselves to coordinate our investments in Ukraine's future force," Austin said.