LIVE: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin opening remarks at 8th Ukraine Defense Contact Group

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin opens the 8th Contact Group for the Defence of Ukraine meeting at Ramstein Air Base in western Germany on Friday, January 20.

Kiev's western allies will discuss the current situation in Ukraine and co-ordination of further military support.

Members are expected to consider the delivery of German-built Leopard 2 tanks.

Among other supplies, Germany has already delivered the Patriot missile system and Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine.

The federal government has also taken the decision to supply 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles from Bundeswehr stocks, and provide training and maintenance.

Last week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said that new weapons deliveries to Kiev would only 'deepen the suffering of the Ukrainian people' and were 'not capable of stopping us from achieving the goals of the special military operation'.

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