Significant Ramstein Meeting: Pentagon Reveals Key Topics.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is heading to Germany for the 25th meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine Defense in the 'Ramstein' format. The meeting, scheduled for January 9, is significant for coordinating international support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, reports RBC-Ukraine.

The 'Ramstein' format meeting is of great importance for providing assistance to Ukraine in defending its sovereignty, U.S. Department of Defense officials note.

Lloyd Austin plans to meet with defense ministers from other countries and military officials from around the world. The meeting will discuss Ukraine's immediate and long-term defense needs, as well as coordination through coalitions of forces and resources.

It is expected that Austin will participate in creating the 'Ukraine Defense Capability' plan by 2027.

The steering group of the Contact Group consists of 8 coalitions regarding Ukraine's military potential and is led by NATO countries. The goal of the meeting is to approve roadmaps for developing various aspects of Ukrainian military forces by 2027.

The Contact Group is reported to continue its work despite Austin leaving the position of U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Since the establishment of the Contact Group in April 2022, the U.S. and its allies have provided Ukraine with over $126 billion in security assistance.