The Diplomat
The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, participated yesterday in the eleventh meeting at ministerial level of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine, known as the ‘Ramstein format’, in which she announced the dispatch, “in the near future”, of new donations of military equipment to Ukraine to strengthen the Armed Forces of this country in the field of land, air, maritime and amphibious protection.
The Contact Group, led by the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has been meeting since April last year at the German Air Base in Ramstein (Germany) and has the usual participation of more than 40 countries. Yesterday’s meeting was also attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Union High Representative Josep Borrell (who spoke via videoconference) and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
The Ramstein meeting is a forum for Ukraine to express its support needs and serves as a reference for donor countries to coordinate their contributions or launch joint assistance initiatives. Last March, for example, it enabled the European Union countries to reach an agreement for the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense recalled yesterday.
During yesterday’s meeting, Robles reiterated the continuity of the Spanish support, including the humanitarian and medical assistance measures that the Ministry of Defense continues to offer, and advanced the sending, “in the near future”, of new donations of material destined to cover the priority needs expressed by Oleksii Reznikov during his visit to Madrid last April 12.
The aim of these future shipments, she said, is to reinforce the Ukrainian Armed Forces in areas such as mobility, armor and protection of ground forces, anti-aircraft protection and defense or maritime and amphibious protection and projection capabilities. “The latter is considered key to securing the maritime green route, which allows the outflow of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, essential for supporting the UN World Food Program and relief to the African and Asian countries most affected by famine,” the Ministry said.
The Minister, who was accompanied by the Secretary General of Defense Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez, and who at the end of the meeting held a meeting with Lloyd Austin, explained that, in addition to the humanitarian, logistical and material support provided by Spain, the training of Ukrainian soldiers is being carried out at the Toledo Training Coordination Center, where the number of soldiers trained by the Spanish Armed Forces already amounts to about 1,200, and it is expected that the total number will be at least 2,000 this year. Robles’ presence in Ramstein came days after receiving Oleksii Reznikov in Madrid and having a videoconference with Lloyd Austin.
