Ukraine allies to convene for 32nd Ramstein defence session

The 32nd meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, widely known as the Ramstein format, is scheduled to take place today, December 16.

According to Caliber.Az, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the meeting will be held via videoconference.

During the session, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal will brief partner countries on the current situation on the battlefield and outline Ukraine’s priority defence needs aimed at strengthening its military capabilities and advancing efforts toward a sustainable and lasting peace.

It is also expected that Ukraine’s partners will announce new contributions to enhance the operational capacity of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced the upcoming meeting in a post on his Telegram channel. Germany’s defence ministry separately confirmed that the talks will be conducted in a video format.

According to Zelenskyy, the meeting will focus in particular on security guarantees for Ukraine. He added that the Ukrainian delegation will be led by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Andrii Hnatov.

The Ramstein format, formally known as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), is an international coalition bringing together more than 40 countries, primarily NATO members and European Union partners, to coordinate military assistance to Ukraine. The format takes its name from Germany’s Ramstein Air Base, where the group held its first meeting in April 2022.

The core objective of the group is to accelerate weapons deliveries to Kyiv by aligning international efforts related to arms procurement, production, and supply. Since its creation, the contact group has convened dozens of meetings.

The previous Ramstein-format meeting took place on October 15. At that time, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the issue of supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles was not on the agenda.

By Tamilla Hasanova