The time is critical, according to Zelenskyj, who says Russia is gathering its last strength. “We have to get faster.” Russian terror doesn’t allow for lengthy discussions. “The Kremlin must lose.”
Zelenskyy thanked the assembled representatives of Western countries for their support to date. “We are seeing the results on the battlefield in Ukraine.” But the defenders of freedom were slowly running out of weapons. In Ramstein, concrete decisions would have to be made about the delivery of aircraft, missiles and long-range artillery, for example, in order to be able to end Russian terror.
“Crucial Moment”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had previously warned the Western Allies not to let up in their support for Ukraine. “This is not the moment to sit back,” Austin said at the start of the Ramstein meeting. Rather, it is time to step up military aid. Austin spoke of a defining moment for Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian people are watching us. The Kremlin is watching us. And history is watching,” Austin said, addressing the gathering. There is no doubt that “we will support the Self-Defense Forces of Ukraine for as long as is necessary,” he added.
Main battle tank focus
At the center of the deliberations in Ramstein that started in the morning is the debate about the delivery of battle tanks to Ukraine. Secretary of Defense Austin invited members of the Ukraine Contact Group to the conference at the largest US air force base outside the United States.
Ramstein: Summit of NATO countries
A major summit meeting of the NATO countries and numerous other countries will take place on Friday at the US air force base in Ramstein, Germany. Arms deliveries to Ukraine are discussed.
In addition to the USA, it also includes Germany and Great Britain. In total, representatives from around 50 countries are involved in the consultations. According to the Ministry of Defence, Austria has been invited as an observer, as at previous similar meetings.
Ukraine expects “real breakthrough”
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine is hoping that the meeting of its supporters in Ramstein will result in promises of further large-scale military aid. “The Ukrainians are expecting a real breakthrough in the delivery of the most modern weapons systems from the Ramstein summit,” the former Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin told the editorial network Germany (RND).
“The biggest request to the (German) ‘traffic light’ government for the Ramstein meeting would be that Germany not only end its strange blockade stance on the Leopard tanks, but show true leadership and form a powerful tank coalition for Ukraine.”
US increases billions in aid
Several countries announced increases in their aid ahead of the meeting. Finland on Friday pledged another 400 million euros worth of military aid, which includes heavy artillery and ammunition. The US government had previously provided Ukraine with additional military aid totaling 2.5 billion US dollars (2.3 billion euros).
With the new package, the US has provided or pledged more than $27.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of President Joe Biden’s administration, according to the US Department of Defense, more than $26.7 billion -Dollars thereof since the start of the Russian war of aggression in late February. The United States is considered Ukraine’s most important ally in the defense against the Russian invasion.
Further no Abrams tanks from USA
It is the second-largest individual package of this type to date. According to the Pentagon, it contains, among other things, 59 Bradley-type infantry fighting vehicles and, for the first time, 90 Stryker-type wheeled infantry fighting vehicles – but no Abrams main battle tanks.
According to the US Department of Defense, the delivery of Abrams tanks does not currently make sense. The Abrams requires different fuel than the Leopard 2 or Challenger 2 main battle tanks and is expensive to maintain, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on Thursday. The Abrams had been discussed after it was reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had made the delivery of the US main battle tank a condition for a possible dispatch of German main battle tanks.
Poland considers delivery of Leopard 2
According to the latest information from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Germany is not making the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine dependent on the simultaneous delivery of American main battle tanks to the country. “I’m not aware of such a link,” Pistorius told ARD on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, Poland does not rule out the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, even without the consent of Germany as the manufacturing country. Poland is ready for such non-standard action, Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told private radio station RMF FM. When asked if Poland would deliver against German resistance, he replies: “I think if there is strong resistance, we will be ready to take even such non-standard measures (…), but let’s not prejudge the facts. “
“Germans understand very well what is at stake”
In the debate about the delivery of battle tanks to Ukraine, the US government demonstratively backed Germany. When asked why Germany was reluctant to approve main battle tanks, the National Security Council’s communications director, John Kirby, said on US television on Thursday evening (local time): “The Germans understand very well what is at stake in Ukraine. “
Germany is one of the “largest donors” and has continuously expanded its support. “We’re grateful for what they’ve provided and we’re grateful they’re considering supplying main battle tanks — we’ll see what comes of that,” Kirby said. Germany makes sovereign decisions, adapted to the needs of the country.
Kremlin: Main battle tanks cannot stop Russia
Western tank deliveries would “change nothing” in Ukraine, meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Friday. “It’s not worth exaggerating the importance of these deliveries in terms of their ability to make a difference,” Peskov said, according to the Interfax news agency.
The Kremlin spokesman justified this with, among other things, problems with supplies, the supply of ammunition and the maintenance of the tanks: “This creates additional problems for Ukraine, but does not change the progress of the Russian side in achieving their goals”.
