Ramstein meetings may be postponed, sources say
The upcoming meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as Ramstein, may be postponed as leaders’ schedules are being coordinated, Suspilne reports, citing a source in the Office of Ukraine’s President.
This development follows US President Joe Biden’s decision to delay his visit to the Ramstein meeting in Germany due to Hurricane Milton approaching the United States.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to Biden’s decision, saying that the meeting with the US President “would have been very important” and preparations were underway “on all sides.”
The Pentagon reported that the 12 October meeting at the Ramstein air base in Germany might be postponed and combined with the NATO defense ministers’ meeting scheduled for 17-18 October.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously announced thorough preparations for the Ramstein meeting, where he intended to present a victory plan. The victory plan also focused on obtaining approval for the use of long-range weapons against targets inside Russia.
Yehor Cherniev, deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, told RBC-Ukraine that during the Ramstein group meeting, the West could lift restrictions on strikes deep into Russian territory.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also canceled his plans to visit Germany for the October 12 meeting. Miller explained that Blinken is heading to Vientiane, Laos, to represent the United States at the East Asia and ASEAN-UN summits.
The Ramstein format meeting brings together international partners to coordinate additional assistance for Ukraine. The meeting on 12 October should have been the first in-person gathering of leaders in this format.
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