Air defense and ammunition: Pentagon unveils Ramstein agenda

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin shared the information at Ramstein Air Base.

According to the official, Ukraine urgently needs the help of its allies to protect its citizens, infrastructure and troops from Russia's missile threat.

"Now, at today's Contact Group, we'll focus on three key areas: air defense, ammunition, and enablers," Austin said before the meeting.

The Pentagon chief noted that in total, the members of the Contact Group have provided more than USD 55 billion in assistance to Ukraine, a tenfold increase since the first meeting.

"Now, earlier this week, the United States announced our 36th Presidential Drawdown of security assistance for Ukraine, valued at USD 325 million. We've now provided more than USD 35 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began. In this latest package, we've included more ammunition for HIMARS, additional 155-millimeter and 105-millimeter artillery rounds, and important anti-armor capabilities," Austin said.

The first meeting in the Ramstein format took place almost a year ago on April 26, 2022. According to the Pentagon chief, the allies will support Kyiv as long as it takes to oust the enemy.

"We reject Putin's grim vision of a world where tyrants get to assault their peaceful neighbors—and try to impose self-declared spheres of influence at gunpoint. Together, we will make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to live in freedom," Austin said.

• On April 21, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin met before a meeting of the Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base. 

• Earlier, FT sources named the main topic of the next Ramstein as providing Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles for its air defense systems.