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"Ukraine seeks record arms production": what theses were voiced at the Ramstein meeting with Zelenskyy and what to expect next. All the details

Oleksiy LutykovPolitics
Meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Ramstein format

On Thursday, January 9, a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense took place at the Ramstein air base in Germany. This is the 25th meeting in this format since the beginning of the full-scale war when dozens of countries jointly discussed the needs of the Ukrainian army in terms of weapons.

The last meeting was chaired by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. OBOZ.UA found out what to expect from the meeting and whether it could be the last one in this format.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Ukraine has already started working on the next meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format. The defense minister informed that he had held an important meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during which they discussed preparations for the meeting and key areas of cooperation.

Umerov noted that the coalition leaders are approving roadmaps for each of the eight areas of cooperation, which will set out strategic goals and key needs for military assistance until at least the end of 2027.

"These documents, developed and agreed upon jointly by Ukraine and partners, will become the basis for supporting and allocating assistance in such areas as air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, drones, air forces, maritime security, and other important areas," the minister said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the Ramstein base in Germany. In addition to participating in a meeting of the Contact Group, the guarantor is scheduled to hold talks at the level of defense ministers and military commanders.

President of Ukraine's speech to the Contact Group members

Zelenskyy said that with the inauguration of Donald Trump, a new chapter will begin for Europe and the world, which he sees as a "time of opportunity." During this period, states "should cooperate more actively, rely more on each other and achieve even more significant results together."

"For almost three years of full-scale war, we have shown that when we unite and act in unity, no one is too small to really influence history," the politician emphasized.

Zelenskyy pointed out the key challenges for our country in the war against Russia. In particular, the President noted that drones help keep the enemy at a distance, so it is important for Ukraine's partners to work in this direction.

The Head of State noted that these are, in particular, maritime drones and drones designed for deep strikes on enemy military facilities and infrastructure on its territory. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has already signed 27 agreements with partners, but this is not enough, so other countries should join the cooperation.

"Drones are something that has already changed the nature of warfare, and these changes are far from over... Drone production in Ukraine is more profitable than anywhere else. This year, we in Ukraine want to set a record for the number and quality of drones we produce and receive from our partners," he said.

The President also emphasized that strong air defense remains one of the main priorities in the war against Russia. Zelenskyy said that the ability of Ukrainian soldiers to shoot down Russian missiles, including ballistic missiles, and to keep enemy aircraft away from the borders provides the motivation that Ukraine desperately needs.

At the same time, Zelenskyy stated that the partners had not fulfilled all their promises to supply air defense systems. The Head of State emphasized that the shortage of such systems leads to tragedies such as those that occurred in Zaporizhzhia the day before.

"We have held talks with the United States on licensing the production of air defense systems and missiles here in Ukraine, and this can become a significant part of our security guarantees – and it is feasible. But we have to remember that the promises of the last NATO summit have not yet been fulfilled – we need the air defense systems that you promised us. You saw what happened yesterday in our city of Zaporizhzhia – Russian bombs killed 13 people and wounded 112. This is just one day, one air strike. We have to stop the Russian terror. And you can do it. We ask for an urgent supply of air defense systems," the president said.

During his speech, Zelenskyy also emphasized the need for sanctions pressure on Russia. In particular, the president emphasized that restrictions on Russian energy could stop the killings and bring peace closer.

"Many Russian threats and bold statements turned out to be a bluff, especially after Ukrainians entered the Kursk region. And I am sure that even more of their threats will turn out to be bluffs if we all work even harder together to push Russia to peace," he said.

In addition, Zelenskyy commented on the idea of some Western partners to deploy a peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine. The President explained that he considers such a step to be one of the best tools.

"Let's take a more practical approach to making this possible," he urged the partners.

The main priority is to strengthen air defense

The day before, the President said that Ukraine was actively preparing for a meeting at the Ramstein air base in Germany. Zelenskyy noted that at the meeting, the Ukrainian delegation would persuade its partners to strengthen protection against Russian terrorist attacks.

According to the president, the meeting will be attended by countries that can strengthen Ukraine's capabilities not only in defending against missiles but also in defending against guided bombs and Russian aviation in general.

On the eve of the meeting, the Pentagon did not speak about Ukraine's specific needs in the war against Russia. However, the US Department of Defense said that the purpose of Lloyd Austin's participation in the upcoming meeting is to "reaffirm the United States' continued commitment to Ukraine with defense ministers and military leaders from around the world."

The latest military aid package from the Biden administration

The meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place 11 days before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Therefore, the current White House administration, led by Joe Biden, will have one last chance to provide Ukraine with a military aid package to deter Russian aggression.

Western media reported that on the day of the meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the Biden administration intends to announce its latest military aid package to Ukraine. According to preliminary data, it may include the allocation of weapons worth more than one billion dollars.

Other sources reported that during the Ramstein meeting, the United States will announce a new aid package to Ukraine worth about $500 million. The new aid package will include weapons from the Pentagon's existing stockpile under the Presidential Decision Authority (PDA) program.

Despite the White House's promise to spend all the funds allocated for the PDA, the Pentagon says that about $3.8 billion will remain unused by the end of Biden's term. These funds will be at the disposal of the new US administration, which will decide how to use them.

The last meeting in the Ramstein format

The new White House administration headed by Donald Trump may cancel the Ramstein meetings. However, Trump's team will propose a different form of these events, as the current format was founded by the current US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the meeting

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz predicts that NATO may take on more responsibility for assisting Ukraine than it currently does. The Polish defense minister emphasized that he plans to discuss with the defense ministers of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Ukraine possible changes that will occur in connection with the upcoming inauguration of President Trump.

It is worth noting that in the spring of 2024, discussions began to change the format of the meetings of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense. After Trump's election in presidential election, NATO partially took over the coordination of military assistance to Ukraine, which was previously carried out by the United States.

NSATU instead of "Ramstein"

To fulfill NATO's new role in assisting Ukraine, the NATO Security Assistance and Training Ukraine (NSATU) mission was created and is headquartered at the US Clay Barracks base in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Currently, the total number of NSATU personnel is about 700, including military personnel stationed at NATO's SHAPE headquarters in Belgium and logistics centers in Poland and Romania.

According to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Christopher Cavoli, NSATU's activities are designed to put Ukraine in a position of strength "to keep people safe and prosperous in Europe and North America."

Joint statement of the contact group on Ukraine's defense

The Pentagon said that partners are working with Ukraine to develop appropriate roadmaps to optimize security assistance efforts, support the development of a credible defense and deterrence capability, and promote Ukraine's interoperability with NATO.

A total of eight roadmaps developed by the coalitions were approved, according to their capabilities. The Pentagon assured that these roadmaps are a significant step forward in Western support for Ukraine, inform the further work of the coalitions by capability, and send an important signal of demand to the defense industry.

The coalitions also plan to continually refine and integrate the plans to support immediate and long-term needs as Ukraine defends itself against and deter future Russian aggression.

As a reminder, on January 8, an American delegation headed by Winfield Swanton, Director for Ukraine at the US National Security Council, arrived in Kyiv. On the eve of the meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group to assist Ukraine, representatives of the US National Security Council discussed Ukraine's priority goals for 2025.

Earlier it was reported that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the countries that are members of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense (Ramstein format) have provided our country with military assistance worth more than $126 billion. The group plays a crucial role in strengthening Ukraine's combat capabilities.

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