UK to lead instead of US as London officially convenes Ramstein meeting

For the first time in the history of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a meeting will be held that is not chaired by the United States. The United Kingdom has officially confirmed that it is convening the 26th meeting of the group, also known as the Ramstein Group, on 12 February at NATO's headquarters in Brussels.

Source: European Pravda, citing an official statement from the United Kingdom's mission to NATO

Details: The statement reads that UK Defence Secretary John Healey is convening the 26th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. The meeting will take place at NATO's Brussels headquarters on the afternoon of Wednesday, 12 February.

The group will gather ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers to discuss Ukraine's priorities and the support needed in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.

Background:

• Ahead of the meeting, media reports indicated that the next Ramstein session would take place on 12 February, with the United Kingdom, rather than the United States, taking the lead.
• The Ramstein Group, established by the US in the spring of 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was designed to coordinate military aid to Kyiv. It has brought together more than 50 countries.
• Prior to Donald Trump's return to the White House, concerns arose that the new administration might not support the Ramstein Group as strongly as Joe Biden's administration did. There were even fears that the format might cease to exist in its current form.
• The most recent Ramstein Group meeting took place on 9 January. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov confirmed then that the next meeting was scheduled for February.

Support UP or become our patron!