Today, January 23, 2024, a virtual meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG, known as "Ramstein") will take place. This will be the 18th meeting of the military coalition in support of Ukraine, with representatives from nearly 50 countries participating.
It was announced by the Pentagon the day before, with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussing the latest developments on the ground and the upcoming virtual meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG) on January 23 in a phone call with Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov.
Lloyd Austin assured Rustem Umerov that the United States and the coalition, consisting of approximately 50 allies and partners, remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression.
The 18th "Ramstein" meeting was also mentioned by Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. She stated that during the meeting, allies would discuss the continuation of military assistance to Kyiv. Singh shared this information during a briefing on January 22.
"This is the first group meeting in 2024. Congress is expected to pass additional legislation on extending US funding to Ukraine. The group meeting allows countries to discuss and work together to provide military capabilities for Ukrainian servicemen. The United States continues to support Ukraine, continuing training under US guidance at bases in Germany and continuing pilot training in Arizona," she emphasized.
Sabrina Singh highlighted that the United States partners in managing various coalitions, including pilot training for F-16s.
"So, this will be another opportunity to touch on certain milestones that need to be achieved. I'm not going to preempt any announcements that might be made or talk about what other countries might take on, but you heard the president say that... we're in this with Ukraine for the long haul," she added.
