Ukraine to request around €17.3 billion from allies at Ramstein meeting on June 18

Ukraine intends to request an additional approximately €17.3 billion in military and financial aid from its Western partners.

This was reported by Politico, citing a senior representative of Ukraine’s defense ministry.

“The request for €17.3 billion will be made on June 18 at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format, where allies coordinate financial and military assistance to Kyiv,” the publication states.

According to the outlet, the question of funding had already been raised by Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during talks with representatives of Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Canada. Each of the allies is being asked to provide between approximately €2 billion and approximately €5.2 billion in the form of direct aid or a loan.

The additional funds are planned to be directed toward strengthening air defense, purchasing drones, ammunition, electronic warfare equipment, and long-range weapons, as well as direct orders from Ukrainian defense enterprises. Part of the military aid will go toward procurement under the so-called “Ukraine Priority Needs List” — a NATO mechanism that allows allies to centrally purchase weapons for Kyiv from American manufacturers.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), known as the Ramstein format, is an international coalition comprising more than 40 countries, primarily NATO and European Union partners. The group coordinates the provision of military support to Ukraine. It takes its name from the German Ramstein Air Base, where the first meeting was held in April 2022; today the base serves as a hub for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and is home to NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre. The UDCG was established at the initiative of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and its task is to accelerate weapons deliveries to Kyiv by synchronizing international procurement and arms production efforts. Over two and a half years, the group has met 26 times.

Politico previously reported, citing four NATO diplomats, that alliance members are discussing an initiative to allocate €70 billion in military financing for Ukraine. According to the outlet, this proposal could be presented at the NATO summit in Ankara in July. Politico’s sources specified that the sum under discussion would not consist entirely of new funds: approximately €30 billion could come from the EU’s already agreed two-year €90 billion loan to Ukraine, with a further €40 billion coming under bilateral commitments from allied nations.

The Russian side demands that the West cease military cooperation with Ukraine and emphasizes that this will not change the outcome of the military operation.