UK to Chair February Ramstein-Format Meeting, Replacing U.S. Leadership

The next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be held on February 12, 2025 under the chairmanship of the United Kingdom, not the United States.

Radio Svoboda reported on this, citing informed sources.

In January, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that the next meeting in the Ramstein format would be held in Brussels before the Munich Security Conference scheduled for February 14-16, 2025.

He noted that the future of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will depend on the U.S. administration.

Previously, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated that after the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the next meeting could take place in February.

It is reported that some of Ramstein’s functions have already been transferred to NATO.

The NSATU (NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine) mission, which coordinates the fulfillment of member-states commitments to supply weapons and has a clear list of Ukraine’s needs, has started working in Wiesbaden, Germany. At the same time, the Alliance has not yet taken on a political role or convened meetings.

In a comment to Radio Svoboda, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur assured that regardless of the future of Ramstein, countries will continue to help Ukraine through various coalitions of capabilities – fighter jets, armored vehicles, air defense systems, drones, etc.

The Ramstein format was created after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In April 2022, then U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin gathered the allies at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, where they first agreed on further military support for Kyiv.

On February 4, 2025 it was reported that the supply of U.S. arms to Ukraine was briefly suspended after the election of the new U.S. President, but resumed in early February.

The transfer of aid resumed after the new U.S. administration abandoned its initial position to cut off all aid to Ukraine.