The 22nd meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defence in the Ramstein format has begun.
This was announced by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
"I thank US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and my other colleagues from about 50 partner countries for their continued support in our fight against Russian aggression," he wrote on Facebook.
The Defence Minister said he expects effective work and fruitful results today.
This meeting is taking place online.
It was traditionally opened by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.
"Putin has launched yet another offensive on sovereign Ukrainian territory," he said, adding that this attack on the Kharkiv Region only proves the importance of the Contact Group.
LIVE: @SecDef Lloyd J. Austin III delivers opening remarks at a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. https://t.co/3sYpecbdlC
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) May 20, 2024
The previous, 21st meeting of the Ramstein Group was held on 26 April, also in a virtual format. The meeting took place a few days after the approval of a large support package from the United States worth more than $60 billion, which Ukraine had been waiting for for the past six months.
The 20th meeting was held on 19 March in Germany. It was chaired by the Pentagon chief himself. It was Austin's first international trip since his hospitalisation. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Quinton Brown Jr, attended Ramstein 20 along with Austin. In total, defence ministers and senior military officials from about 50 countries were invited to the meeting. The main topic of the meeting was ammunition for Ukraine.