Ukraine is planning to discuss how to overcome problems that accumulated over the past six months while waiting for the passing of the U.S. aid package at the next Ramstein summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on April 25.
After months of political infighting, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the crucial foreign aid package on April 20, which includes $60.84 billion for Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden first requested Congress approve the aid last October. In the six months Ukraine waited for the bill to be passed, Russia has made significant territorial gains and dramatically increased aerial attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure.
"We are preparing for tomorrow's Ramstein meeting and will discuss, among other things, how to overcome the difficulties and problems that have accumulated over the past six months while we have been waiting for decisions on American support," Zelensky said.
"Politically, we have already achieved the support. Now we need to work on filling the packages with the necessary weapons and ensuring logistics."
After Biden officially signed the bill, Zelensky promised that Kyiv "will do everything" to compensate for the six months that passed "in debate and doubt."
"All his (Putin's) actions at the front, all his attacks on our energy sector and infrastructure, all his terror against our cities and villages – all this should mobilize us, everyone in the world who really values life, to put more pressure on Russia."
Russia has stepped up targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the spring, overwhelming local air defenses and destroying some of Ukraine's largest coal-fired power stations.
The Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), which will be held online on April 26, exactly two years after the first summit of this format was held at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The U.S.-led UDCG comprises over 50 countries, including all 31 NATO members, and meets regularly to coordinate military aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
Chris York
