The US will not participate in "Ramstein": what is known
Kyiv • UNN
The US will not participate in the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine. This raises concerns about a change in the US approach to military support for Kyiv.
The US will not participate in "Ramstein". This is reported by Defense News, reports UNN.
Details
For the first time since the establishment of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, its meeting will be held without a representative of the US Department of Defense. The meeting, which will be held on April 11 in Brussels, will be chaired by Germany and the United Kingdom.
According to European officials and a representative of the American government, Pentagon chief Pete Hegset will not participate in the meeting either in person or via video conference. In addition, Washington is unlikely to send senior officials to participate in the summit.
This decision has caused concern among European partners, who see it as confirmation of the Donald Trump administration's changing approach to military support for Kyiv. During the previous meeting in February, Hegset already stated the priority of American national interests over international obligations.
The Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, created at the initiative of the previous US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in 2022, played a key role in coordinating the supply of military aid to Kyiv. In total, the participating countries of the group mobilized more than 126 billion dollars, of which almost half came from the USA.
The absence of representatives of the American defense department may affect the effectiveness of the group, because the American military usually provided strategic assessments and intelligence information. In this regard, European partners are already considering alternative formats of cooperation, which involve strengthening the role of Germany and Great Britain in decision-making.
In addition, against the background of political uncertainty in Washington, Ukraine is facing financial constraints. The Pentagon has 3.85 billion dollars left to supply military equipment to Kyiv, but there are no funds to replenish them. Congressional leaders have not yet signaled their readiness to allocate new tranches of aid.
Let us remind you
The British Minister of Defense will chair the meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine on April 11. The goal is to mobilize more military aid and increase pressure on Russia.
