Strengthening Ukrainian air defense will be among main issues at Ramstein – Umerov
One of the main issues at the April 11 meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraine's defense will be strengthening Ukraine's air defense. Ukraine needs a sufficient number of modern systems, such as Patriot, and this requires a political decision.
According to Censor.NET, this was announced by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
"Today and tomorrow I am working in Brussels. The agenda is full: a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Ramstein format, as well as bilateral meetings, in particular with the leadership of NATO and the EU," the statement reads.
He added that an important meeting with defense ministers within the Coalition of the Willing is taking place today, which is a continuation of the dialogue with partners after the summit of leaders at the level of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris and the recent meeting of the chiefs of staff of Ukraine, France and the United Kingdom in Kyiv.
"The Coalition of the Willing is a new format of long-term support for Ukraine and security in Europe, bringing together countries ready to work together for a sustainable and lasting peace. It is also a strategic step towards modernizing the security architecture in Europe, which will be an adequate response to the constant threat from Russia," the minister said.
Umerov reminded that tomorrow (April 11) a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Ramstein format will be held, which is a critical platform for supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"One of the main issues will be strengthening our air defense. Ukraine needs a sufficient number of modern systems such as Patriot. We need a political decision to supply these systems to protect our cities and villages and the lives of our people, first of all, from the threat of Russian ballistic missiles. Our partners have the appropriate systems," he said.
According to him, discussions are also underway on industrial cooperation and the opening of joint defense production facilities, which will allow Ukraine to strengthen its own production base and ensure constant support for the frontline.
"Ukraine is ready for peace - just and protected by force. We continue to work with our international partners to strengthen our defense capabilities and provide our soldiers with everything they need to win," Umerov concluded.
