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Zelenskyy to visit US base in Germany to request weapons

September 5, 2024

Top US military leaders will meet at the Ramstein air base in Germany's west to discuss support for Kyiv. The meeting comes just days after one of the largest waves of Russian airstrikes against Ukraine.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kIwG
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes part in the graduation of officers from the National Defense University in Kyiv on June 18th, 2024
Zelenskyy is expected to push for more weapons deliveries, in particular long-range missiles and more air defensesImage: Ukraine Presidency via Bestimage/IMAGO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the US Ramstein Air Base in western Germany on Friday, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported.

The purpose of his visit, according to Spiegel, would be to request increased Western military support in the war against Russia forces. This would include new arms deliveries, such as long-range missiles and air defense systems.

The gathering will take place within the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the "Ramstein" group.

The German government has not yet confirmed Zelenskyy's presence at the meeting.

What is the Ramstein Group?

It is an informal alliance of more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

The group was formed shortly after the war began in February 2022. In April that year, the US gathered Ukraine's allied nations at the Ramstein base to coordinate arms support for Kyiv.

Since then, they have met regularly to discuss the Ukrainian government's military requests.

Friday's meeting, called by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, will be the 24th gathering of the group.

Germany: Ramstein is the most important US base in Europe

Zelenskyy wants to use Western weapons in Russia

The Ukrainian president is seeking permission from his Western partners to allow the use of donated long-range weapons on Russian territory. This subject could potentially be discussed on Friday.

Kyiv has stepped up this request in recent weeks, coinciding with the Kremlin's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Several countries keep restrictions on the use of weapons they supply to Kyiv to avoid escalating the conflict.

In May, the US and Germany partially lifted these restrictions to allow Ukraine to defend the city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border.

Ukraine's Kharkiv suffers fresh Russian aerial assault

Ukraine fears arms flow could stop

The meeting also comes amid fears that Western military aid to Ukraine could stall.

However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday that Berlin would continue its support for Kyiv.

"Germany's support for Ukraine will not cease. We have made provisions, closed defense agreements, and secured timely financing so that Ukraine can continue to rely fully on us in the future," Scholz said.

fmf/nm (Reuters, dpa)