Fedorov Outlined the Priorities for the Next Ramstein

Ahead of the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the “Ramstein” format, the Ukrainian side held talks with key international partners to coordinate military assistance. 

According to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, he held talks with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, British Defense Minister John Gile, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The main goal of the talks was to ensure that future decisions by the allies would as closely as possible match the actual needs of the front lines and strengthen the Defense Forces in critical domains of warfare.

During the consultations, particular emphasis was placed on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and anti-ballistic protection. The need for additional air defense capabilities has become more acute amid the intensification of Russian terror against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, particularly due to the occupiers’ use of over 30 ballistic missiles in a single night during the latest massive attack.

The main priorities that Ukraine is bringing to the next “Ramstein” meeting have been identified in three key areas. First, these are additional financial contributions to the PURL mechanism and the procurement of PAC-3 missiles through the JUMPSTART initiative. Second, partners discussed the supply of extended-range artillery ammunition within the framework of the Czech Initiative. The third priority is funding for the direct production of Ukrainian drones. The Ukrainian side separately emphasized the importance of quickly translating international support into concrete results on the front lines, as well as the need to scale up bilateral support to strengthen the technological edge of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The next meeting of the Contact Group in the “Ramstein” format is scheduled for June. In addition, Ukraine plans to hold a closed-door meeting of deputy ministers to discuss the PURL mechanism. This will be the thirty-fifth meeting of the Contact Group on Ukrainian Defense in the “Ramstein” format.