The Ukraine Defense Contact Group was initiated by the US to coordinate international efforts in providing military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression in 2022. The meetings bring together more than 50 countries, including NATO member states. At the latest meeting, the US did not announce any aid packages for Kyiv and later halted the entire American support for Ukraine, claiming that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not want peace.
The next Ramstein meeting is scheduled for late March or early April.
Pistorius emphasized that a key issue for discussions now and in the coming weeks will be compensating for US military aid to Ukraine that has already been canceled or may be cut in the future.
He also noted that Germany has allocated approximately €4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine this year and stressed that German supplies remain consistent and reliable.
On 12 February, the Ramstein meeting was held in Brussels for the first time. Before the event even started, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegset declared that “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”
This claim was directly countered by British Defense Minister John Healy, who insisted that “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO."
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