Representatives from more than 50 nations convened on January 23, 2024, to deliberate on enhanced assistance for Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion, culminating in a set of encouraging agreements.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin officially opened the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine. He emphasized that the United States, as well as the entire international coalition, remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
«The struggle of Ukraine is important for all our countries. Putin continues to sacrifice staggering numbers of Russian military personnel and hopes that the missiles and drones will demoralize the Ukrainian people and break the morale of the Ukrainian military. Therefore, I call on this group to provide Ukraine with more life-saving air defense systems.
If we lose our temper, if we flinch, if we fail to deter other potential aggressors, we will only provoke more bloodshed and more chaos. And we should not hesitate in our support for Ukraine», – added the head of the Pentagon, recalling that on December 27, the United States announced the allocation of a $250 million aid package to meet Ukraine’s urgent security needs.
As part of the regular meeting in the “Ramstein” format, the issue of increasing the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine was separately discussed. This was announced at a special meeting dedicated to the results of the Group’s 18th meeting.
«There is a complete understanding of the partners that we need these weapons and a commitment to work on providing Ukraine with more weapons for such strikes», – said Illarion Pavlyuk, junior lieutenant, the head of the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Defense.
During this meeting, the adaptation of anti-aircraft missiles of Western models to the Soviet launch platforms, which are at the disposal of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, as well as the expansion of opportunities for increasing the production of ammunition and artillery systems, including in joint projects of partner countries with Ukraine, were also discussed.
«An important factor on the battlefield is the number of weapons. Adequate supplies of equipment and ammunition, maintenance and spare parts are critical to sustaining the front line. But breakthroughs require innovation and significant technological progress. That is why in 2024, defense technologies will have a central role in the agenda of the Ministry of Defense.
The enemy also understands the importance of technology. And improve them. Following the Ukrainian example of using drones, Russia has invested in the production of FPV drones. And recently, the Russian potential of FPV drones somewhat exceeded Ukraine’s capabilities in this field», – added the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov during the opening of the meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine.
He also expressed the opinion that the use of FPV drones is important because it helps to compensate for the shortage of artillery ammunition. Ukraine can also preserve valuable artillery stocks by achieving higher strike accuracy with the help of artificial intelligence-based software. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense can better protect our forces from Russian drones with more electronic warfare systems.
“The support of Ukraine’s Western partners is a clear signal to Russia: it makes no sense to continue aggression!”
«We are grateful to all countries that have taken the lead in developing capability coalitions. Many of our partners have significantly increased aid packages in 2024. We are grateful to the United States for its leadership in increasing the capabilities of Ukraine’s industry and for holding an international defense conference in Washington in December, 2023. We are grateful to France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany and other partners for their willingness to expand our defense cooperation. We appreciate the efforts of Canada, Norway, and the EU to implement long-term financing mechanisms», – emphasized Rustem Umerov.
New military aid packages from Western Partners and the reaction of experts to Ramstein’s conclusions
Sabrina Singh, US Defence Department spokesperson, stressed that the USA will hope for help from other allies for Ukraine: «Even though we aren’t able to provide our security assistance right now, our partners are continuing to do that».
The Defense Contact Group of Ukraine, known as the Ramstein format, has provided a total of more than $80 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and maintains a collective effort to ensure continued support. This was stated by Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder on Tuesday following a virtual meeting of the Contact Group.
GAU, tracker of German assistance to Ukraine said: «From a German perspective, the 18th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was relatively relaxed. Germany announced the delivery of six Westland Sea King Mk41 helicopters to Ukraine from Bundeswehr stocks.
The delivery — which should begin around April 2024 — also includes a comprehensive spare parts package and additional equipment such as cargo nets, cargo hooks and winches for search and rescue missions, so that Ukraine can deploy the helicopters flexibly for various mission scenarios.
Germany also announced that it is currently considering whether they will participate in the two new capability coalitions led by Poland (armour) and Latvia (drones). A participation in both coalitions would make perfect sense from a German perspective, as Germany is one of the world’s leading nations in the supply and repair of armored vehicles as well as drones.»
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that if Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk that he will use force again.
«NATO Allies and the European Union need to step up and provide even more funding for Ukraine at this critical time», added Stoltenberg.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with BILD that Taurus is not required for targeting Moscow; the extended-range missiles from our Western allies suffice for such purposes across Russia’s territory. However, Taurus is essential for dismantling the Russian military infrastructure situated beyond the frontline within Ukraine.
Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair announced a new donation of 10 Multirole Boats from Zodiac Hurricane Technologies, valued at approximately $20 million. These multi-engine Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) will assist Ukraine in various maritime operations including search and rescue, troop and cargo transport, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The Minister also disclosed that commencing from the upcoming month, as part of Canada’s participation in the F-16 Training Coalition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), we will deploy civilian instructors, aircraft, and support personnel sourced from Top Aces Inc., a Montreal-based company. This assistance, valued at around $15 million, is intended to augment Denmark and France’s training initiatives. The training program is scheduled to commence in February 2024 and will extend through 2025.
The Ministry of Defense of Estonia posted on X: «Today at Ramstein, Estonia announced joining the UK-led training Operation Interflex: provided over 34 000 Ukrainian soldiers with essential skills for frontline combat».
Ivan Tarn, a veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War, ambassador of The Ukrainian Review said: «The increase in the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine, as a result of the latest Ramstein meeting, is a highly positive development. This not only strengthens our defense but also allows us to shift the war to a more strategic dimension, reducing the number of human casualties by avoiding direct infantry engagements.
It’s important to note that the collaboration within the Ramstein format provides participating countries with invaluable information about the effectiveness of various weapon systems in real-world conditions of modern warfare.
This, in turn, leads to the adaptation and modernization of their defense industries, significantly enhancing their defensive capabilities. This experience, gained in conflict conditions, is critically important for the development of future defense strategies and technologies».
Conclusion
Permanent support of partners and increase in military aid packages is extremely important for Ukraine. There hasn’t been any positive development regarding the Taurus cruise missile, a topic under discussion for several months. The biggest problem of Ukraine is that the pre-election political games in the USA greatly slow down or postpone military aid, on which the lives of thousands of Ukrainians depend. The meeting in the Ramstein format shows that Western partners still fully support our country in humanitarian and military aspects, but the amount and speed of delivery of this aid decreases every month.
