The next meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defense will take place on 19 March at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the press service of the US Air Force in Europe told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
“US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin plans to hold an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on 19 March 2024. Austin has once again invited defense ministers and senior military officials from around the world to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and the various security challenges facing US allies and partners,” the statement said, according to RFE/RL (note: the text may differ from the original as it has been back-translated into English from Ukrainian).
The meeting occurs at a crucial time as Ukraine faces a shell shortage while US House Republicans have been blocking US aid for Ukraine for months. Kyiv needs consistent ammunition and advanced weapons resupply to sustain its defense against Russia’s continued offensives in the Donbas region and elsewhere.
On 27 February, an appeal was published, signed by nearly 500 intellectuals, including academics and former officials, from various countries, including the US, the UK Germany, and Australia, who have urged the Ramstein coalition to increase military aid to Ukraine, highlighting a significant ammunition shortage and criticizing the modest aid provided by some European countries.
The previous 19th meeting held online, took place on 14 February. It discussed the strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense, artillery systems, and drones, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
What long-range weapons Ukraine can get in the wake of Ramstein-18 meeting
At the 18th Ramstein meeting via video conference on 23 January, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for the allied nations to “dig deep” to supply Ukraine with anti-air interceptors and systems, while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg pledged the Alliance’s support right away and in the long term.
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