By KYIV. Jan 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The next Ramstein meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will be held on January 20, 2023, according to the website of the German Ministry of Defense.
At her first international conference call of the new year on Friday, German Federal Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht spoke with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, discussing, among other things, the current military situation in Ukraine and how to coordinate further military support for Ukraine’s defense through preparations for the upcoming meeting of the Contact Group.
"Jointly and in close cooperation with our American Allies, we are taking the next step in our support of Ukraine and its courageous defence against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. Patriot air defense battery with a set of rounds," she said.
"We will now deliver a Patriot air defense battery in addition to the GEPARD self-propelled armoured air defence gun system and the state-of-the-art IRIS-TInfra-Red Imaging System – Tail/Thrust Vector controlled SLM air defence system provided by Germany and already in use in Ukraine. Particularly in major urban centres, the civilian population will be better protected against the relentless Russian air strikes. This will reinforce the Patriot package that will be provided to Ukraine by the United States," Lambrecht said.
According to her, the parties also discussed the supply of infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. "While the United States will provide Bradley fighting vehicles, Germany will deliver up to 40 MARDER IFVs from industry and respectively Bundeswehr stocks. Ammunition for the IFVs will initially be provided from Bundeswehr stocks. This will also complement the planned delivery of armoured reconnaissance vehicles by our French Allies. In combination with the approximately 100 Soviet-built main battle tanks and IFVs that we have provided together with our Allies through backfilling arrangements, these joint efforts will considerably strengthen the robustness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," the minister said.
"Germany will also provide the necessary training as well as supply spare parts and maintenance (in coordination with industry), both for the Patriot air defense battery and for the MARDER vehicles," Lambrecht said.
