U.S. welcomes German pledge to send 50 anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with reporters after returning from their trip to Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, near the Ukraine border, in Poland, April 25, 2022. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS

RAMSTEIN (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Tuesday welcomed Germany's decision to, for the first time, send heavy weapons to Ukraine.

"I think it's significant that Germany announced that it is going to provide 50 Cheetah systems," U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said after talks with dozens of his counterparts at Ramstein in Germany, calling the Gepard anti-aircraft guns by their English name.