Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Denmark Agree to Supply Weapons to Ukraine
During the 15th meeting in the Ramstein format, Czech Deputy Defence Minister Daniel Blazkovec signed an agreement with the Defence Ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands on the financing of further supplies of mainly Czech weapons to Ukraine.
This was reported by the official website of the Czech Ministry of Defence.
"Specifically, this pertains to the provision of additional tanks, howitzers, small arms, infantry fighting vehicles, anti-aircraft defense systems, and electronic warfare equipment, as well as ammunition from companies within our defense industry",- stated Deputy Minister Daniel Blazkovec.
Furthermore, according to the announcement, Kyiv will receive both state-of-the-art Czech weaponry and modernized equipment already in use by the Czech Armed Forces. The initial batches of equipment and munitions are expected to be transferred to Ukraine in the coming months, with continued deliveries throughout 2024.
The primary objective of this initiative is to establish a "long-term cooperation and support" for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The first project will involve the transfer of 15 modernized main battle tanks, T-72EA.
"We have concurred with these partners that the continuous supply of materiel from industrial stocks and production is critically important for Ukraine's defense capabilities in the coming months",- stated Jan Jires, Senior Director of the Defense Policy and Strategy Section.
It is worth noting that this marks the first Ramstein format meeting in the presence of Ukraine's new Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, who recently assumed office.
Addressing the participating countries, Umerov emphasized that despite Russia's bloody war against Ukraine, which has persisted for over 15 months, Ukrainian forces remain highly motivated, and the Ukrainian people have no intention of giving up their struggle.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the members of the contact group have announced a new package of security assistance aimed at "enhancing the capabilities of the Defense Forces in terms of anti-air and anti-missile defense, aviation support, maneuverability, and the ability to overcome engineering obstacles on the battlefield."
In addition, the defense ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, and Luxembourg held their first meeting of the so-called "IT Coalition", which aims to provide secure and resilient IT infrastructure for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Defense Forces, enabling Ukraine to be more effective on the battlefield.
In total, 20 states participated in the IT initiative, including Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, and Latvia, which joined the IT Coalition by signing a declaration of accession.
Furthermore, the participating countries of the Ramstein contact group have agreed to launch another initiative called the 'Capabilities Coalition,' with the goal of preparing the "Defense Forces of Ukraine for the future." To this end, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has identified 'five clusters' that require attention, specifically, anti-air defense, artillery, aviation, navy, and armored vehicles.