Ukraine's Defense Minister outlines military priorities ahead of Ramstein meeting
Ukraine aims to increase Russian battlefield losses, expand air defense, and intensify economic pressure on Moscow to make the war harder for the Kremlin to sustain, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Feb. 12 ahead of a Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels.
The Ramstein format was created in March 2022 by the U.S., bringing together more than 50 countries to coordinate international military support for Ukraine. The upcoming summit comes as Russia continues its large-scale winter attacks, targeting Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, which has led to a severe and deepening energy crisis.
"The president set a clear task for the Defense Ministry: build a system to stop the enemy across all domains — air, land, and sea — and strike the aggressor's economy asymmetrically," Fedorov wrote on X.
"Our goal is to make the cost of this war unbearable for Russia."
Fedorov said Russia suffered record verified losses of 35,000 troops in December and that Ukraine aims to raise monthly Russian losses to at least 50,000.
He also called air defense the country's top priority, announcing the launch of a multi-layered "small" air defense system and new interceptors to counter long-range drones, including Shahed-type UAVs.
At the meeting, Fedorov plans to present 18 strategic projects for 2026, including funding Ukrainian-made missiles and creating drone-assault units.
"We are not just scaling; we are inviting partners to invest in battle-proven tech that changes the front line," he said.
He urged partners to increase sanctions pressure and fully block Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
"Stopping every Russian tanker is the fastest way to halt the aggressor’s war machine," he said.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the Ramstein format, brings together more than 50 countries coordinating military support for Ukraine.
The Ramstein format was created in March 2022 by the U.S., bringing together more than 50 countries to coordinate international military support for Ukraine.
