No announcements on new aid for Ukraine at Ramstein format meeting – WP
Pravda Ukraine
The Washington Post has learnt that new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not planning to announce new arms supplies for Ukrainian soldiers at the 12 February meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format.
Source: European Pravda with reference to The Washington Post
Details: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will become the first representative of the new Trump administration to visit NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.
Hegseth will participate in the Ramstein meeting, which was initiated by the administration of former US President Joe Biden in 2022. This week, for the first time, the meeting will be convened by the United Kingdom rather than the United States.
Hegseth is not expected to make any announcements regarding new weapons supplies for Ukraine. According to one US official, he will not meet face-to-face with his Ukrainian counterparts but rather will be “in listening mode” at this Ramstein format meeting, as he will be at the NATO defence ministers’ meeting on Thursday.
“The Secretary will reiterate President Trump’s commitment for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible. He will also highlight the need for increased European leadership on security assistance to Ukraine,” the Pentagon said before Hegseth’s departure for Europe.
An unnamed NATO diplomat said that “constructive dialogue with the new American administration would be the most important outcome” of the meeting, as well as a “US commitment to do everything we can to keep Ukraine in the fight”.
Background:
- On the eve of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, there were concerns that the new administration would not support the Ramstein format as much as the Joe Biden administration did.
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised the importance of preserving the Ramstein format meetings.
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