Ukraine's allies are gathering for another meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in Brussels to discuss further military assistance to counter Russian aggression. The meeting, known as the Rammstein format, will take place on February 14 and will be chaired by the United States.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was scheduled to attend the meeting in person, but will participate online due to his hospitalization. According to data, during the meeting, issues of military support to Ukraine and further steps to strengthen its defense capabilities will be discussed.
The "Ramstein" contact group unites all 31 NATO member countries and 23 other allies of Ukraine. The previous meeting of this group took place on January 23 in an online format, during which Ukraine's partners made quite important statements about the continuation of strong support.
The meeting of the Contact Group takes place in the context of uncertainty in the United States regarding the allocation of financial aid to Ukraine due to the confrontation with Republicans in Congress. The US Senate passed a bill providing $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, but the document still has to pass through the House of Representatives, where the majority belongs to Republicans who oppose such a decision.
US President Joe Biden called on the House of Representatives to approve the bill as soon as possible, stressing that inaction regarding aid to Ukraine could lead to serious consequences, especially against the background of Russia's continued aggression.
The Ramstein meeting comes at an important time when Ukraine remains at the forefront of the fight for its security and territorial integrity, and its allies around the world are supporting and strengthening defense efforts.
