BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin will convene a core group leaders' meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to map out Ukraine's defense capabilities in support of building a credible deterrent force through 2027.
The meeting of eight capabilities coalition leaders will be part of the upcoming 25th meeting of the UDCG, which is set to begin at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Thursday.
The US-led UDCG, which was founded in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is a coalition of some 50 nations that meet regularly to discuss Ukraine's security needs.
Within the coalition exists a core leadership group comprising eight capability coalitions. Each coalition represents one aspect of Ukraine's military capabilities and is co-led by at least two separate NATO nations.
'The leaders of these coalitions will need to endorse roadmaps that articulate Ukraine's air force, armor, artillery, de-mining, drone, integrated air and missile defense, information technology and maritime security needs and objectives through 2027. These roadmaps are intended to enable donors to plan for and support Ukraine sustainably into the future,' a senior U.S. defense official said at a Pentagon news conference.
When asked whether there was concern about the path forward for the UDCG should American support for the group decrease once the new Trump administration takes over on January 20, the official stressed that the multilateral manner in which the UDCG and its coalitions have been constructed will help to bolster the group's future resiliency.
'I can't speak for what the incoming administration will decide about its role [within the UDCG], but I'm very confident of European commitment . ability . experience and extraordinary belief in the mission, and [I'm] confident that those capability coalitions will continue one way or another,' the official told reporters.
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