Ramstein meeting kicks off in Germany: Ukraine is promised a new aid package. All details

On Tuesday, March 19, a regular meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense started at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The meeting is being held at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The previous meeting in the Ramstein format took place on February 14, following which Ukraine's partners announced the launch of an air defense and drone coalition. OBOZ.UA found out what Ukraine should expect after the March 19 meeting of the contact group and what forecasts are being made in the West.

The head of the Pentagon said on X that he had traveled to Germany for the 20th meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's defense. According to him, the coalition, which consists of about 50 countries, will continue the unified support to meet Ukraine's immediate needs on the battlefield and long-term security.

According to Reuters, in Germany, Austin will try to convince European allies that President Joe Biden's administration remains committed to supporting Ukraine, even though Washington has almost run out of money to help the Ukrainian armed forces.

"I think our allies are acutely aware of our funding situation, and the Ukrainians more than anyone else because of the deficit that comes from not being able to provide for them," a senior Pentagon official said on condition of anonymity.

At the same time, the U.S. Defense Department acknowledges that the lack of funding for Ukraine is already affecting the situation on the battlefield, and Ukrainian troops now resort to saving resources. U.S. officials do not rule out the possibility that the U.S. will be able to find additional funds for Ukraine. However, this amount will not be enough to compensate for the lack of action by Congress.

According to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, the United States will not allow Ukraine to lose the war. The Pentagon has also officially announced that the Contact Group will meet again in Germany to discuss the war in Ukraine and to reaffirm that the United States and the coalition continue to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian occupiers.

Ahead of Ramstein 20, Austin said the coalition would focus on Ukraine's immediate needs on the battlefield. Prior to the meeting of the contact group, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi held talks with the US Secretary of Defense. The defense ministers discussed Ukraine's medium- and short-term needs and outlined specific requests. In particular, the head of the Ukrainian defense ministry named ammunition and air defense as key priorities.

In addition, the Pentagon press service said that on the eve of his trip to Germany, Austin held talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The US Defense Department noted that during the talks, the issue of strengthening the transatlantic defense industrial base to continue supporting Ukraine was raised.

Before the meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius answered questions from Radio Liberty journalists. The head of the defense ministry said that Ukraine would receive a new military aid package. According to him, the current priority is the supply of ammunition.

At the same time, the minister refused to comment on the situation with Taurus cruise missiles. The head of the German defense ministry only said that there was "no news about it."

As a reminder, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed said that the new military aid to Ukraine from the United States would not dramatically change the situation on the battlefield in favor of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the short term. However, additional funding will allow Ukrainian forces to gradually push back the Russians.

Earlier, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said that Ukraine must show that it will fight the aggressor country Russia regardless of the actions of the United States. He called on Ukrainians to demonstrate the level of morale that was at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

As reported, the President of the European Council Charles Michel noted that now, two years after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, it is clear that the aggressor country Russia will not stop there. That is why European countries should be prepared for defense and switch to "war economy."

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