UK officially confirms convening meeting of Ramstein group on Feb 12 in Brussels
The UK is convening a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, the so-called Ramstein, on February 12 in Brussels on the eve of the NATO defence ministers' meeting.
The corresponding announcement was made on Thursday in Brussels by the UK Permanent Mission to the alliance's headquarters.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey will convene the 26th Ukraine Defence Contact Group in person at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon, 12 February. The Contact Group will meet ahead of a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers to discuss priorities for Ukraine as the international community continues to work together to support Ukraine in its fight against Putin's illegal invasion, the announcement reports.
Earlier, sources at the headquarters told Interfax-Ukraine that Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would also take part in the meeting.
As it is known, the group's meeting was previously chaired by the United States, in particular by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. The position of the new administration of President Donald Trump on this issue is currently unknown. New US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was previously a Fox News host, has not yet spoken out on the issue of Ramstein's continued existence.