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Media: Next Ramstein summit to be held on March 19 in Germany

by Dinara Khalilova and The Kyiv Independent news desk March 9, 2024 3:03 PM 2 min read

United States Secretary of Defense LLoyd Austin (L) and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov attend the 15th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base on Sept. 19, 2023 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

The next Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will be held on March 19 at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the U.S. Air Force in Europe's press service told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

The UDCG comprises over 50 countries, including all 31 NATO members, and has been meeting regularly since April 2022 to coordinate military support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

“(U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd) Austin once again invited defense ministers and senior military officials from around the world to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and various security issues facing U.S. allies and partners," the U.S. Air Force in Europe said, as cited by the Ukrainian service of RFE/RL.

No official announcements of the 20th Ramstein summit have been made yet.

The previous Ramstein summit was held on Feb. 14 in a hybrid format, both in-person at NATO headquarters in Brussels and online. The meeting reportedly focused on meeting Kyiv's short-term urgent needs in the fields of artillery, ammunition, and air defenses.

Following the 19th Ramstein summit, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced the official launch of allied coalitions supporting Ukraine's air defense and drone capabilities.

The UDCG serves as an umbrella for several other "capability coalitions," such as the Dutch and Danish-led "fighter jet coalition" or the French-led "artillery coalition," aimed at long-term support for Ukraine's military capacities.

Authors: Dinara Khalilova, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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