US and German Defense ministers discussed support for Ukraine and Ramstein meeting
Lloyd Austin (photo: Getty Images)
On Friday, December 20, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a telephone conversation with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. The parties discussed support for Ukraine and the upcoming meeting in the Ramstein format, Pentagon states.
"Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III conducted a call today with his German counterpart, Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, to discuss continuing support for Ukraine and the upcoming Ukraine Defense Contact Group, scheduled for January," the statement reads.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder added that Secretary Austin expressed appreciation for Secretary Pistorius' leadership and Germany's ongoing substantial security assistance to Ukraine.
Ryder clarified that the call took place in the morning, before the events in Magdeburg. This is the German city where a car drove into a crowd of people at a Christmas market yesterday, causing many injuries.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Germany in the wake of this tragedy,” the Pentagon spokesperson summarized.
The other day, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that the next Ramstein meeting would take place in January 2025. It will focus on further steps to strengthen Ukraine's security.
