Ukraine to Request an Additional $20 Billion at Ramstein to Deter Russia
Ukraine plans to ask its allies for additional funding of approximately $20 billion during the next meeting of the "Ramstein" format. The funds could be used to strengthen defense capabilities and maintain an advantage on the battlefield.
The request for $20 billion will be made on June 18 at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the “Ramstein” format.
“Everyone can see that Russia is burning, and we want it to burn even more intensely, but for that we need funding,” said a Ukrainian official who wished to remain anonymous.
The publication’s sources report that this issue was raised by Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and other officials during a series of meetings with representatives from Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Canada.
According to the publication’s source, each of the allies will be asked to contribute between $2 billion and $6 billion to reach the $20 billion target.
"This could be aid or a loan," the Ukrainian official added.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, partner countries have already committed to providing $38 billion in military aid this year.
An additional $20 billion would bring Ukraine closer to the $60 billion bilateral aid target set by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
If the additional $20 billion is allocated, Ukraine will allocate these funds to air defense, increased contributions to the PURL initiative, as well as the purchase of additional drones, ammunition, electronic warfare equipment, long-range weapons, and direct purchases from Ukrainian defense companies.
The goal is to use these funds to continue increasingly devastating attacks on Russia.
"The window of opportunity will soon close. Russia is acting quickly and innovatively. And if we give it time to adapt again, we may lose our only real chance to end this war through genuine negotiations. And if Russia develops its own medium-range strike drones, it will be a disaster for us,” the Ukrainian official warned.
A representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense made these remarks in a comment to Politico.
Ukraine and Germany discussed the key needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces ahead of the Ramstein meeting.
Ukraine and NATO agreed on key defense priorities ahead of the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. During the coordination, the parties focused on strengthening air defense, supplying ammunition, and expanding the production of Ukrainian drones.
Fedorov noted on Telegram that among the key priorities for cooperation are: partner contributions to the PURL program; the supply of PAC-3 missiles through the JUMPSTART mechanism to strengthen anti-ballistic capabilities; long-range munitions under the Czech Initiative; and funding for the production of Ukrainian drones.
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 Ramstein-format Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defense.
