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Ukraine’s key Ramstein defense talks on hold after Biden cancels Germany trip

A meeting in Germany’s Ramstein has been postponed after US President Joe Biden canceled his trip to focus on Hurricane Milton preparations.

byYuri Zoria

09/10/2024

2 minute read

ukraine's key ramstein defense talks hold after biden cancels germany trip us president joe addressing un general assembly 24 sept 2024

US President Joe Biden, addressing the UN General Assembly on 24 Sept. 2024. Credit: CNN

Ukraine’s key Ramstein defense talks on hold after Biden cancels Germany trip

A crucial monthly summit of Ukraine’s key military backers, the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) also known as Ramstein-format, scheduled for 12 October at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, has been postponed, according to DW and Reuters.

The Ramstein group, established by Washington after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has been a key platform for coordinating international military support for Kyiv, consisting of about 50 countries supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts.

The postponement comes following US President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel his trip to Germany, organizers said on 9 October. Biden reportedly focuses on dealing with the extreme weather situation in Florida, preparations for Hurricane Milton, and relief efforts following a hurricane last month that claimed over 200 lives.

“The Oct. 12, 2024 event is postponed,” the US public affairs office at Ramstein Air Base stated in an email to journalists, Reuters says. They added that announcements about future UDCG meetings would be forthcoming.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had planned to present his “victory plan” to allies during the meeting, which would have been a test of Kyiv’s vision for defeating Russia.

At the last Ramstein meeting in September, Zelenskyy had pressed for more weapons and the necessary clearance to use Western weapons further inside Russian territory, DW says. Earlier, Yehor Chernev of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Defense and Intelligence Committee said that the now postponed Ramstein meeting was expected to decide on lifting the ban on deep strikes inside Russia, as reported by The New York Times.

A German Defense Ministry spokesperson indicated that defense ministers aim to meet within the Ramstein format this month, though no specific date has been set. German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit added that national security advisors are in close contact and coordinating on Ukraine-related issues, with plans for a face-to-face meeting of leaders in the near future, according to Reuters.

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