President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Official website
At the Ramstein Base, the President Met with Germany’s Minister of Defense
9 January 2025 - 16:22
As part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in the "Ramstein" format, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Germany's Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius.
The Head of State expressed gratitude for Germany's military support and highlighted its leadership in bolstering Ukraine's air defense. Ukraine is thankful to Germany for the provided air defense systems and their contribution to saving lives. This support, along with Ukrainian-German cooperation, has saved thousands of Ukrainian lives.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Pistorius discussed the possibility of increasing funding for military aid to Ukraine in 2025. This support is critically important for Ukraine to strengthen its positions on the battlefield, as only this can exert pressure on Russia and force it into a just and lasting peace.
The President separately emphasized the importance of further strengthening Ukraine's air defense and providing additional air defense systems. Boris Pistorius announced that Germany would soon deliver additional missiles for previously supplied systems.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed the future work of the "Ramstein" format and the possibility of financing Ukrainian weapons and equipment production based on the Danish model.
ph | Working Visit of the President of Ukraine to Germany 9 January 2025 - 15:50 |
The German Defense Minister has pledged additional military aid to Ukraine at today's meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein.
"Ukraine can count on Germany, regardless of the outcome of the election on February 23", Pistorius said.
- Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Pistorius highlighted Germany’s contribution to protecting the largest logistics hub supporting Ukraine. "In the coming weeks, we will deploy two Patriot missile units and a total of 200 soldiers to Poland", he announced.
- The Bundeswehr soldiers are expected to remain in Poland for six months as part of a NATO mission.
- He also intends to supply additional missiles for the IRIS-T systems in the near future. These missiles are part of ongoing production and were originally allocated for the German Bundeswehr.
Contact Group to continue under Trump Presidency
But whether these meetings will actually persist, remains uncertain. However, should the new U.S. administration choose to discontinue the format, "it will need to continue in another form", Pistorius asserted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his expectations for the incoming U.S. President, who is set to take office on January 20.
In light of the leadership transition, Zelenskyy also called for strengthened cooperation. "With Trump's inauguration on January 20, we enter a period where we must work more closely together and achieve better results as a team", he said during today's Ukraine Contact Group meeting.
Speaking on a podcast with Russian-American host Lex Fridman earlier this week, Zelenskyy described Trump as a pivotal figure in the effort to stop Putin.
Tymofiy Mylovanov, former Ukrainian Minister of Economic Development and president of the Kyiv School of Economics, told Euronews he believed there will be a serious effort by the Trump administration to get a peace deal without selling out Ukraine. "The aid will continue as a part of strengthening leverage over Putin and enforcement of the deal", he predicted. . .
No comments:
Post a Comment