United to win: Ramstein meeting launches in Brussels with Britain headlining for the first time

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting ( in the "Ramstein" format) will begin in Brussels on February 12.  The Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom, John Healey, will chair it. The new US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will also participate.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umierov announced this.

"Today, for the first time, the meeting will be chaired by my colleague and friend, John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom. The new US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will also participate," the official emphasized.

The head of the defense department noted that the meeting's agenda includes:

• stable and timely supply of military assistance in 2025;
• acceleration of the supply of critically important weapons – air defense, aviation, ammunition;
• investments in the defense industry in Ukraine and joint projects with European partners.

In addition, long-term solutions are being discussed at Ramstein:

• expanding defense production in Ukraine,
• financing the Ukrainian defense industry and creating new enterprises,
• increasing the volume of arms supplies at the expense of the capacities of the European defense industry.

In addition, Umierov will hold a series of bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of allied countries.

"The main goal is to strengthen military cooperation and real mechanisms for supporting Ukraine. Ukraine is ready for negotiations to end the war. But a just and lasting peace is possible only when Ukraine is strong on the battlefield," Umierov noted.

Rubryka previously reported that the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format would be held on February 12, chaired by Great Britain, not the United States.

In addition to Ramstein, key events for the security of Ukraine and the whole world will take place this week:

• Meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the level of defense ministers;
• Munich Security Conference.

For reference:

It should be noted that on January 9, the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was held at the American military base "Ramstein" in Germany. Chaired by the United States, the army leadership of fifty countries, the President of Ukraine, the Secretary General of NATO, and other leaders attended it.

Following the meeting, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umierov, announced that the next "Ramstein" format meeting would likely occur in February. Partner countries have already agreed to convene at that time.

In turn, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated that the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine at the Ramstein air base on January 9 could be the last. Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense of Germany, Boris Pistorius, emphasized that this format should be maintained in the future.

It is worth adding that in April 2024, Politico reported that the United States and Western partners were considering transferring Ramstein under NATO auspices.

The NSATU (NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine) mission began operating in Wiesbaden, Germany, which coordinates the implementation of countries' commitments to supply weapons and has a clear list of Ukraine's needs. At the same time, the Alliance has not yet assumed a political role and has not convened the meetings.

The Ramstein format was established following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In April 2022, then-US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin convened allies at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, where they initially coordinated further military support for Kyiv.