NATO reveals expectations for upcoming Ramstein meeting
Illustrative photo: NATO expects that support for Ukraine will be discussed at the Ramstein meeting (Getty Images)
In the coming days, NATO defense ministers will discuss continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. This will include talks during the upcoming Ramstein meeting, said a NATO representative, speaking to journalists on the condition of anonymity.
The meeting of NATO defense ministers on February 13 will cover a range of topics related to the Alliance's security.
One of the key issues will be defense spending. NATO is currently working on agreeing upon new, ambitious targets for its members, which will be critical to ensuring that the Alliance has the necessary personnel and equipment for deterrence and defense. Achieving these targets will require significantly higher investments from many NATO allies.
He said that the ministers are also expected to discuss continued support for Ukraine, particularly during a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, where Ukraine's Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, will join the NATO ministers.
The NATO representative highlighted that on February 12, a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place, chaired by the UK. Since 2022, NATO countries have provided Ukraine with unprecedented support. They have provided 99% of the military aid to Ukrainian soldiers.
The NATO official also noted that the newly established NATO command in Wiesbaden, designed to support Ukraine, is at the forefront of coordinating these contributions and future ones.
Additionally, during meetings in Brussels, NATO defense ministers will exchange views on other important issues. They will discuss the protection of underwater infrastructure and ongoing NATO-led missions, including the Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission.
Meanwhile, NATO Acting Spokesperson Allison Hart reminded that during last year's NATO summit in Washington, the Alliance pledged €40 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2024.
In a report presented to allies ahead of the NATO defense ministers' meeting on Thursday, Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that NATO members had exceeded this commitment, providing over €50 billion in security assistance to Ukraine in 2024. More than half of this sum came from European allies and Canada, Hart said.
New Ramstein meeting
It will be the first time that the Ramstein meeting will be chaired by the UK. Previously, such events were chaired by the United States.
The new US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will participate in the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. However, according to WP, he will not announce new military aid for Ukrainian soldiers.
