Rutte to join new Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting: Date announced
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will participate on Tuesday, December 16, in a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, according to NATO’s press service.
According to NATO’s press service, this will be a virtual meeting of Ukraine’s partners, during which they will discuss further military support and coordination of aid to counter Russian aggression.
NATO noted that Mark Rutte’s participation in the Contact Group meeting underscores the Alliance’s continued attention to Ukraine’s defense and security needs.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine sources also reported that a new meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place on Tuesday, December 16.
Ukraine Defense Contact Group
Ukraine Defense Contact Group was established in April 2022 to coordinate military assistance in countering Russian aggression.
It includes over 50 countries, including NATO and EU states, as well as partners from other regions. Participants hold regular meetings to discuss Ukraine’s needs, the situation on the front lines, and to coordinate the delivery of weapons, equipment, and other critical resources.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, as of September this year, allies have provided assistance totaling over $145 billion. This support has enabled the Armed Forces of Ukraine to acquire modern air defense systems, F-16 fighter jets, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery ammunition, and other resources to resist the Russian invasion.
In 2025, the format continues to operate actively; however, meetings are now chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany rather than the United States, as was the case under the Joe Biden administration.
Notably, on November 14, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that a new Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting had been scheduled for December 3. The reason for its postponement is still unknown.
