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Strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, supporting the U.S. plan for additional military supplies, and sending a clear message to Russia that further aggression is futile — these are the main goals of the 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is being held in video format today, July 21. Representatives from 52 countries are participating, including the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the new Commander of NATO’s Joint Armed Forces in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey opened the meeting. According to him, it is crucial to bring the Kremlin dictator Putin to the negotiating table. He also emphasized that this meeting is an opportunity to solidify the €40 billion in aid promised during the NATO summit. As a reminder, NATO member states pledged last month to provide at least this amount in support for Ukraine.
Healey also highlighted that Russia’s total casualties have exceeded 1 million people, including 240,000 lost just this year. He was followed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Notably, the UK and Germany are co-chairs of the Ramstein format.
Pistorius announced the delivery of new Patriot air defense systems, an agreement reached during his recent visit to the United States.
“Germany will provide additional air defense systems and urgently needed ammunition. During my trip to Washington last week, I agreed with Pete Hegseth that Germany will contribute to the rapid delivery of five critically needed Patriot systems. In the coming days, we will work closely and in a spirit of mutual trust with our partners to determine how to make this happen,” said Pistorius.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also joined the meeting via video link and listened closely to the statements made during the session. Pistorius also thanked Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway for actively participating in this initiative to deliver more air defense systems. He further announced that Germany will supply over 200,000 rounds of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft system it funds for Ukraine, to help protect Ukrainian skies.
Pistorius added that long-range drones funded by Germany would be in the hands of Ukrainian forces within days, allowing Ukraine to strike targets, including on Russian territory.
“To protect Ukraine’s skies, we must support Ukraine’s armed forces in their offensive efforts to weaken Russia’s air warfare capabilities. That is why we are funding a comprehensive procurement of long-range, Ukrainian-made drones. These systems have already proven effective on the battlefield. They destroy Russian aircraft, drones, and missiles before they can become a threat to Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure. The first systems financed by Germany will be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the coming days and will be ready for immediate use. We intend to further enhance this capability by investing more and establishing close technical cooperation between German and Ukrainian defense industries,” Pistorius stated.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal addressed the group for the first time in his new role as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense. He outlined Ukraine’s most urgent and medium-term needs.
“Russian terror continues, so we must strengthen our air defense. I ask the U.S. to provide weapons for procurement, and our European partners to allocate the necessary funding. My second request is for financial support. Ukraine needs $6 billion to cover this year’s procurement gap. This will allow us to produce more drones to hold our positions, more interceptor drones to counter Shahed attacks, and additional long-range strike capabilities to bring the war to Russian territory. Third, we must prepare for 2026. I urge our partners to allocate funding for Ukraine in their 2026 budget drafts starting now,” Shmyhal said.
The Ukrainian Prime Minister also called for Ukraine to participate in joint projects under the SAFE program — a European Union credit initiative offering up to €150 billion in loans, in which Ukraine can participate on equal terms. However, this requires joint project partnerships, so Ukraine is seeking partners to realize this initiative and co-produce weapons.
This Wednesday, a meeting of countries possessing Patriot systems is scheduled to take place to coordinate the necessary deliveries to Ukraine at a technical level. Last week, speaking in Wiesbaden, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, gave a preview of this plan.
“For operational security, I won’t go into detail. I’m not going to reveal to the Russians or anyone else the exact quantity of weapons or delivery timelines. But I can say that preparations are underway. We are working very closely with the Germans on Patriot deliveries, and I’ve been instructed to act as quickly as possible. That’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re also considering other options and needs and working on proposals for our leadership,” Grynkewich said.
The United States is playing a very active role in this meeting. As Grynkewich confirmed, he has been instructed to deliver weapons to Ukraine as soon as possible — not only those publicly announced but also additional proposals he is preparing for U.S. leadership on what else could be sent to Ukraine.
As a reminder, the online session of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format began on July 21, co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany. In his opening remarks, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed that Berlin will provide Kyiv with additional air defense systems.
- The United States is launching a new mechanism for purchasing American weapons for Ukraine. Germany has already expressed readiness to join in by supplying five Patriot systems to Ukraine.
- Germany is delivering 200,000 shells for Gepard systems and is ready to finance the procurement of long-range drones.
- Canada will allocate 20 million Canadian dollars for the maintenance of Ukrainian tanks.
- The Netherlands will provide €200 million for interceptor drones and €125 million for F-16 maintenance.
- Norway will allocate a total of €1 billion in 2025 for drone procurement, of which €400 million will go toward purchases from Ukrainian manufacturers.
- Sweden is preparing a new package including air defense systems, artillery, and military equipment.
- The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 135 ships from Russia’s shadow oil fleet and two companies connected to it.
Read also: Germany and the U.S. Agree to Deliver Five Patriot Systems to Ukraine “as Soon as Possible”
