French foreign minister heads to Kyiv for Ramstein format meeting

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced his departure for Kyiv on July 21, where he will participate in the Ramstein-format conference.

“I am traveling to Kyiv. I will participate in the ambassadors' conference and reaffirm, on behalf of France, our unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of the Ukrainian people,” Barrot wrote on X, Caliber.Az reports.

Je me rends à Kyiv. Je participerai à la conférence des ambassadeurs et réaffirmerai, au nom de la France, notre soutien indéfectible à la souveraineté, l’intégrité territoriale et la liberté du peuple Ukrainien.

🇫🇷🇪🇺🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/bPZj0h9gam

— Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot) July 21, 2025

A new round of discussions within the Ramstein format — a coalition of over 50 countries focused on bolstering Ukraine’s defence capabilities amid ongoing Russian aggression, will be held on July 21 in Kyiv. The group, officially known as the Contact Group for Defense Support to Ukraine, was established by the United States in April 2022 during a summit at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The upcoming Ramstein meeting will be more technical and coordination-oriented, according to Ukraine’s newly appointed Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal.

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth is expected tojoin the session online, marking Washington’s return after it was absent from the previous meeting on June 4.

Decisions made within the Ramstein format have been crucial in shaping the military landscape in Ukraine. Western partners have supplied Kyiv with key defence systems such as HIMARS rocket launchers, Patriot air defence units, Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks, and a broad array of modern military hardware.

By Sabina Mammadli