Ramstein’s main topic will be air defense and ammunition for Ukraine, not aircraft

This was reported by the British outlet Financial Times

The outlet writes about the main topics that Kyiv and its Western allies will discuss at the next meeting in the Ramstein format, dedicated to military assistance to the Ukrainian army.

The outlet reminds that Ukraine has recently been particularly insistent on obtaining Western fighter jets. According to FT journalists, this issue will also be raised, although the West does not consider it so urgent.

At the same time, the outlet’s sources believe that the supply of combat aircraft in the future is quite likely.

"President Joe Biden has said the US will not send F-16s, but Washington officials concede they are likely to provide Ukraine with more sophisticated air power as the war drags on — or at least give a green light to the transfer of F-16s from other powers," the outlet says.

According to the publication's sources, for now, the main focus will be on supplying Ukraine with ammunition and air defense systems, as this is what the Ukrainian Armed Forces need above all else amid the Russian army's intensified offensive.

In this regard, according to the FT, the meeting on Tuesday may discuss establishing more direct contacts between Kyiv and Western arms companies. This, on the one hand, will speed up and simplify supplies, and on the other hand, will be an indication that the current reserves of the NATO armed forces are already running out.

"What we really have to concentrate on now is Ukraine’s ability to defend the air and they’ll do that through air defence artillery, equipped with the proper ammunition," the FT quoted an unnamed American official as saying. "Fighter jets are not and will not be as capable against the Russian air force as an integrated air defence system.”

"This war has proven to be an artillery duel using mass amounts of artillery ammunition on both sides," the official continued. "The international community will seek to continue to supply Ukraine with the artillery it needs to defend itself.”

• A new meeting of the partners of the Contact Group on Ukraine's defense in the Ramstein format is scheduled for February 14 at NATO headquarters.

• According to Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, the main issues on the meeting’s agenda are the protection of Ukrainian skies, including through the involvement of an aviation platform, the development of a "tank coalition," the formation of a safety margin for ammunition and training programs for Ukrainian soldiers.