NATO headquarters Photo: Getty images
On 12 February, the United Kingdom will assume the role of chairing the meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraine’s defence for the first time. The meeting will take place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, and London will replace the United States in coordinating international military efforts in support of Ukraine.
The format is the same, and the questions are within the participants
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the importance of maintaining the full composition of the group during a press conference on 10 February with the head of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calvino.
“The main thing for us is to preserve the Ramstein format. We have kept it, and we will see whether all countries will participate, because it is not only European partners, but also the United States. It is more than 50 countries. The main result of the Ramstein is assistance to Ukraine, its scope and formats,” Zelenskyy said.
The last, 25th meeting of the group was held in Germany in January 2024, where Ukraine reaffirmed the need to strengthen military support and considered the prospect of attracting peacekeeping forces from Western countries.
Ukraine’s expectations: military assistance and strategic decisions
The main topic of the February meeting will be the strengthening of military assistance to Ukraine, including the transfer of ammunition, air defence systems and armoured vehicles. An important aspect will also be the discussion of long-term support for the Ukrainian army and the possibility of deploying a peacekeeping contingent from Western countries, as previously announced by Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
Ukraine is counting on regular military packages from international partners, as well as clear decisions on the supply of long-range weapons, drones and artillery systems.
