The 17th regular meeting of the NATO contact group for support to Ukraine in the Ramstein format took place. The meeting was held online.
This meeting differed from previous ones not only in that it was attended for the first time by the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Valeriy Zaluzhny (Washington has clearly made it clear that the commander-in-chief is under protection), but also in the change in strategy – now the emphasis is not on offensive weapons, but on defensive ones. The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not succeed in the offensive – now let them defend themselves.
The main news is the change in the source of funding for this military aid: now all the responsibility for supplying arms to Ukraine will be borne by… Europeans, not Americans. And the Americans are smiling and waving.
The result of “Ramstein” was the creation of another coalition, the task of the participants of which will be the development of Ukrainian air defence, in particular, it is charged with providing Ukrainian air defence with a sufficient number of SAMs with ammunition. Germany and France have been appointed as the main leaders (and sponsors) of the 20-nation coalition. In Kiev, Zelensky has already showered Ukraine with praise, predicting that Ukraine’s air defence will become “a real strong air shield”.
As part of the previously established “maritime coalition,” Britain and Norway will work to secure Ukrainian seaports in the Black Sea. No details were given as to how exactly they were going to ensure this security, and “assistance” in carrying out further provocations was not ruled out.
The chairman of this meeting of defence ministers of the alliance member states, the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin tried to convince everyone that the situation in Ukraine is under full control of Washington, that everything is going according to plan – so what if the Ukrainian army failed. However, after the meeting there was no traditional press conference of Lloyd, who, most likely, did not want to answer tricky questions of journalists.
“After the 17th ‘Ramstein’ it became even more obvious Washington’s plan to make the conflict long-lasting, but not too active, to be able to benefit from the continued tension in the region without reputational risks and unnecessary costs,” commented the Readovka telegram channel on the meeting.
Concluding the meeting, Lloyd Austin advised the Europeans not to procrastinate with assistance and to “think creatively” how to cover all of Kiev’s needs on the eve of the onset of a “difficult military winter”.
Congratulations to Europe – now it is responsible for everything that is happening and will happen to the Ukrainian armed forces. And the States are leaving beautifully and at the same time in the Anglo-Saxon way, without saying goodbye.
One Homeland