Tomorrow, April 26, 2024, the 21st meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, better known as the Ramstein format, will take place.
This meeting of senior defense officials from more than 50 countries will be symbolic, as it will take place exactly two years after the first one took place in April 2022.
The meeting is expected to take place online and will be attended by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown.
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What can Ukraine expect from the 21st Ramstein and can partners provide additional weapons based on the results of this meeting — read on Facts ICTV
Ramstein 21: what to expect in Ukraine
It was not publicly announced in the United States or other partner countries of Ukraine what the agenda for the meeting would be. However, according to a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, reserve major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexey Getman, during the meeting they will discuss the next supplies to Ukraine after the already announced aid packages from the United States and Great Britain, which became known the day before.
— This will, first of all, coordinate logistics, as well as planning further supplies: what we still lack, where it can be (find, — Ed.) and with whom you can agree, — he says
Hetman points out that the issue of logistics includes how these weapons will be supplied, how the weapons will be moved, and also in what warehouses they will be stored.
At the same time, the military analyst points out that it is unlikely to expect any new assistance packages from partners as a result of the meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, since before this a number of countries had already announced their capabilities in arms supplies.
— Much more? Germany announced a certain number of weapons that it will supply. The UK has also already stated what it will supply. Americans and French too, — he says.
According to him, the lists of all weapons and equipment that are transferred to Ukraine are written down in advance. For this purpose, consultations took place between the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the military from the United States and other partners.
— The Americans know very well what kind of boats or vehicles, for example, the UK supplies us with, and what Germany supplies us with. This is consensual, there is no competition, — he explains.
Getman points out that in situations where the United States does not transfer Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, this does not mean that Washington does not want this, which means there are already corresponding agreements with other countries that can transfer these air defense means.
— Because an opinion arises that they deliberately, out of malice, say this: “We won’t give you Patriot”. Supposedly they will give $60 billion, but they won’t give it to Patriot. It doesn't work like that, — adds military analyst.
In addition to the meeting in the Ramstein format, there are other meetings between the Ukrainian military and representatives of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense with representatives of the Pentagon and other Western defense departments, where the specifics of assistance to Ukraine are also discussed.
Recall that the day before the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that within the department they had created a Coalition Support Office, which aims to ensure sustainable and systematic management of military assistance provided by partner countries.
