IRIA News

Senior officials of about 50 countries joined defense ministers and military leaders of U.S. and NATO nations on April 21, 2023, for the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

The meeting was convened by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov also attended the meeting and expressed his gratitude to U.S. Secretary Austin and General Mark Milley for their leadership in “bolstering the anti-Kremlin coalition” and coordinating the Alliance’s assistance to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian defense minister said, “We are efficiently and transparently leveraging the assistance that has been provided by the American people. The enemy will feel the consequences of our agreements.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Austin emphasized that “Over the past year, the members of this Contact Group have provided tremendous capability to Ukraine”, including Javelin and Stinger missiles, Howitzers, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and ground-based air defense systems.

Austin said, “Our collective efforts have made a huge difference on the battlefield, and now, in just a few short months, the Contact Group has delivered more than 230 tanks, more than 1,550 armored vehicles, and other equipment and munitions to support more than nine new armored brigades. We’ve also expedited our M1 Abrams timelines to supply Ukraine with more armored capability in the coming months.”

.@SecDef: In total, the members of this Contact Group have provided more than $55 billion in security assistance for Ukraine. That’s a tenfold increase since we first met. pic.twitter.com/BwGmPKiYjb

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) April 21, 2023

Austin also thanked Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov for providing “a first-hand account of the battlefield dynamics” and “highlighting Ukraine’s most urgent needs in the critical months ahead”.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley said that “Ukraine’s spirit remains unbroken. There are now 31 members of NATO, and NATO is even stronger than ever — united in the face of Russia’s aggression and attack on the rules-based order.”

The U.S. Army general highlighted that the United States has committed more than $35 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including millions of tank and artillery rounds, tens of thousands of antitank weapons, and air defense systems.

On April 19, 2023, the Biden Administration announced additional security assistance for Ukraine with additional ammunition for HIMARS, artillery rounds, anti-armor weapon systems, and over 9 million rounds of small arms ammunition. Earlier this week, U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missile systems also arrived in Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who also attended the meeting, stressed the importance of stepping up military aid for Ukraine. Stoltenberg said, “I just came back from Kyiv yesterday night and I met with President Zelenskyy, and his message was that he really appreciates and welcomes the strong support NATO Allies and partners have provided for Ukraine, but also counts on us to continue to support Ukraine in the future.”

The NATO secretary general welcomed recent announcements by NATO Allies, including Denmark and the Netherlands, regarding deliveries of armored vehicles. Stoltenberg called for continued supplies of air defenses, ammunition, and training for Ukrainian forces. He further highlighted that the NATO Alliance is also enhancing “non-lethal military assistance” for Ukraine, by providing “medical supplies, mobile satellite systems, and pontoon bridges”.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting is led by the United States and conducted with Western partners and allies to support Ukraine with weapons and equipment for its defense against Russia. The first such meeting took place on April 26, 2022, at the U.S. Airbase in Ramstein, Germany. However, since no NATO member is directly involved in the conflict, the Ramstein meeting was not conducted as part of the NATO format.