U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during the 20th Ramstein-format meeting in Germany on March 19, 2024. (Rustem Umerov/Facebook)
The next Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will be held on Sept. 6, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Aug. 20.
The U.S.-led group, consisting of over 50 countries, including all 31 NATO members, convenes at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
This will mark the group's 24th meeting since its establishment in April 2022.
At the last meeting on June 13, participants focused on strengthening Ukraine's air defense, including the provision of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, amid increasing Russian aerial attacks on cities and the energy grid.
Argentina also announced its membership in the UDCG, joining efforts to coordinate military aid for Ukraine.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is facilitating transit primarily to Poland, with some migrants arriving from Libya directly or through Russia — pointing to coordinated efforts between Minsk and Moscow.
Explosions rocked Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as Russia launched waves of missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs overnight on July 26. Kharkiv's Kyviskyi district has been hit twice by ballistic missiles.
The U.S. on July 25 urged China to stop enabling Russia's war in Ukraine during a UN Security Council meeting, prompting a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which accused Washington of creating confrontation.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban described Hungary's proposed partnership as "pragmatic, flexible, and rooted in mutual interest — not irreversible integration."
While Turkish media earlier reported that Erdogan was arranging a meeting between Putin and Trump, the president's office later clarified that he was referring to an in-person meeting with Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainians on July 25 participated in mass protests against a controversial new law impacting anti-corruption agencies for the fourth day in a row. President Zelensky earlier addressed criticism of the law, saying there should have been a dialogue between parliament and society before its adoption.
EU member states will not likely agree to push the ban up a year, but officials could use the demand as leverage in the upcoming negotiations, European diplomats told Reuters.
While Belgrade has not joined EU sanctions against Moscow, the decision reflects economic pragmatism rather than political alignment, Serbian European Integration Minister Nemanja Starovic said.
Kateryna Denisova
