Austin and Umerov Intensively Plan: Focus on Security Assistance and Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Upcoming Ramstein Meeting.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has held talks with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to plan the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. According to a statement from the Pentagon, as reported by the Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency Tass, these talks are scheduled to take place in November. They focused on the priorities of security assistance and the upcoming plans of the contact group.
Meeting Aims for Winter Preparations
The Pentagon, as reported by Tass, also announced that the two ministers discussed current developments on the battlefield. Illarion Pavlyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, stated according to Tass, that the upcoming meeting in November will focus on preparing the Ukrainian armed forces for the winter.
At the last contact group meeting on October 11, as reported by Tass, Ukraine proposed forming a coalition of the defense industry to support local weapon production. It was the first time that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally attended such a meeting.
Image: U.S. Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley join Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska during a wreath laying ceremony at the Pentagon 9-11 mem 15, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)