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UK, Germany to host next Ramstein-format meeting on Oct. 15 at NATO headquarters

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UK, Germany to host next Ramstein-format meeting on Oct. 15 at NATO headquarters
Flags of Ukraine and NATO are seen in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 29, 2024. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The U.K. and Germany will convene the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in the Ramstein format at NATO headquarters on Oct. 15, the alliance's press service announced.

The Ramstein format was created in March 2022 by the U.S. to coordinate international military support for Ukraine, bringing together over 50 countries.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, London and Berlin have assumed responsibility for leading the meetings, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even skipping one session.

The most recent gathering took place in London on Sept. 9.

The upcoming summit comes as Europe faces escalating Russian provocations, with countries such as Denmark and Poland urging Ukraine to help counter Moscow's growing drone threat. The official agenda has not been disclosed.

The meeting will also follow Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month, during which Trump promised to arrange direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.

Those efforts faltered after Putin invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to Moscow, an offer Kyiv dismissed as impossible, while Russian missile strikes against Ukrainian cities persist.

Despite the diplomatic deadlock, Trump said on Sept. 23 that the U.S. would "continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them."

His administration has begun delivering arms to Ukraine under a new NATO-backed arrangement, with the first package approved on Sept. 16, including Patriot and HIMARS missiles.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

News Editor

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.

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