Zelenskyy arrives at Ramstein meeting
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at Ramstein Air Base to participate in a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s defense.
At the air base, he will meet with US and German Defense Ministers Lloyd Austin and Boris Pistorius. Separately, the President will hold talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
We need the determination of our partners and the means to stop Russian air terror. We need all the weapons from the already announced support packages to finally reach the combat brigades. And we need strong, long-range decisions from our partners to bring the just peace we seek closer, – Zelenskyy said.
Afterward, Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Italy for the International Economic Forum and meet with Prime Minister George Maloney.
US announces new $250 million aid package for Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has announced a new $250 million aid package for Ukraine, he said in a speech before the start of the meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraine’s defense.
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to approve this additional aid package on September 6. According to Austin, this military package will increase capabilities to meet Ukraine’s growing needs.
Parliament approves new appointments: changes in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
On September 5, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the dismissal and appointment of a number of high-ranking officials.
The most resonant was the resignation of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. 240 MPs voted in favor of dismissing the foreign minister. According to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the Foreign Minister did not come to the Verkhovna Rada before the vote.
Andrij Sybiha was appointed as the new head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to that, he worked as the first deputy minister, deputy head of the Presidential Office, and was Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey. His candidacy, proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was supported by 258 MPs.
Romanian Parliament supports the transfer of the Patriot system to Ukraine
The lower house of the Romanian parliament has supported a law that allows the transfer of the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. The day before, the bill was supported by the country’s government.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is to sign the bill, after which the government will issue an order to transfer the Patriot to Ukraine.
In June, Bucharest announced that it would transfer one of the two Patriot systems to Ukraine, provided that the allies replace it with a similar air defense system. The “Romanian” Patriot is part of the air defense equipment that NATO countries promised to provide to Ukraine.
The Romanian Defense Ministry says it will deliver one of seven 3+ systems purchased from the United States. It is the most advanced version of the Patriot defense system used by the United States and nearly 20 other NATO allies.
Ukraine and Ireland sign bilateral cooperation agreement
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Harris have signed an agreement on support for Ukraine and cooperation between the two countries.
This year, Ireland has pledged to provide Ukraine with another €128 million in non-lethal military support and at least €40 million in humanitarian aid.
Ireland will also provide demining systems and explosive ordnance disposal equipment and continue to participate in the demining coalition. In addition, the country will explore other potential ways to support the capabilities of the Defense Contact Group through coalitions, such as the IT coalition. Ireland will provide ongoing training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) in Ukraine.
Separate blocks of the agreement outline humanitarian assistance, as well as support for reconstruction and reforms, in particular on Ukraine’s path to EU membership. Ireland will contribute to bringing Russia to justice, compensating for the damage caused by the aggression, and further strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia.
The Netherlands announces a €200 million aid package for Ukraine
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schouffe has announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than 200 million euros. The package is aimed at protecting and restoring energy infrastructure and includes additional funding for humanitarian aid.
