The Pentagon chief on the future of "Ramstein": It will be determined by the new administration.

He stated this during the summary of the 25th "Ramstein" meeting.

In response to a journalist's question about whether the Donald Trump administration would continue meetings to support Ukraine in the "Ramstein" format, Austin mentioned that he does not want to speculate on this matter.

“The future administration must make its own decision. We want to ensure that we have done everything possible to maintain support so that [Ukraine] has options to move in all directions”, the minister explained.

At the same time, Austin noted that he has repeatedly “heard from his colleagues” that they consider “Ramstein” important and believe that this format has been effective.

“Of course, it’s not the only format that can work, but they believe it is significant”, the head of the Pentagon added.

In April 2024, Politico reported that the United States and other Western countries were discussing transferring "Ramstein" under NATO's aegis. This option was considered in the event of Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential elections.

What is "Ramstein"?

This refers to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was established to assess Ukraine's defense needs and provide assistance. The first meeting of the Contact Group took place on April 26, 2022, at the U.S. Air Force base "Ramstein" in Germany, with the participation of 40 countries.

Currently, about 50 countries are part of the "Ramstein" Contact Group, providing military assistance to Ukraine.

The 25th meeting took place on January 9. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov noted that during the session, it is planned to approve “roadmaps” regarding strategic goals and key military assistance needs, at least until the end of 2027.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged partners to urgently provide air defense systems following the latest deadly airstrike by Russia in Zaporizhzhia.

At the "Ramstein" meeting, the head of state also supported the idea of deploying military personnel in Ukraine from partner countries. The president assured partners that he is trying to end the Russian-Ukrainian war “with dignity”.