Lloyd Austin departs for last Ramstein meeting as US defense secretary

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has departed for Germany to attend the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base, which is his last one before the end of the Biden administration. Austin has shared a video showing his preparations.

Source: Austin on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Austin noted that this would be his final visit to Ramstein Air Base as the US secretary of defense, as Donald Trump's inauguration is in less than two weeks.

Quote: "I’m headed to Germany to host the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a historic coalition that has come together to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory."

Background:

• The meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group is scheduled for 9 January, the same day the Biden administration plans to announce its final military aid package for Ukraine.
• The Ramstein format was established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Ukraine under Washington's auspices. It brings together more than 50 countries, the vast majority of which are NATO members.
• Amid Donald Trump's intentions to "quickly end the war", Western allies have been preparing for scenarios in which US support for Ukraine might diminish.
• Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umierov expressed hope that the Contact Group format for supporting Ukraine would continue under Trump's presidency.

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