US: Pentagon announces 4th Rammstein meeting on security & protection of Ukraine

The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the fourth Rammstein format meeting on the defence of Ukraine will take place in a virtual format on July 20. On July 12, US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin and his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov spoke by phone.

According to Pentagon, "Austin and Reznikov also discussed the agenda of the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), which will be held virtually on July 20, and exchanged views on the future of US and allied assistance to Ukraine in the UDCG format."

It is worth noting that 20 countries announced new security assistance packages for Ukraine during the second Contact Group meeting in mid-May, including the transfer of critical artillery equipment and ammunition. For the first time, international leaders met on April 26 to discuss the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

The third Rammstein conference on the Russia-Ukraine war was held in Brussels on June 15 at the invitation of the United States. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin presided over the Summit of Defense Chiefs from around the world. At the time, Russia has an advantage in weapon systems, which is made worse by a lack of ammunition on the Ukrainian side. Despite some NATO nations' initial reluctance to contribute heavy artillery, the alliance is now largely on board.

Western nations' Defence Ministers meet to discuss plans to supply more ammo to Ukraine

In a bid to help Ukraine fight off the ongoing Russian offensive, Western-aligned countries' defence ministers will meet to develop new plans of attack and support measures. In order to improve its capabilities, Ukraine has been asking for more heavy artillery supplies. Participants in the Rammstein-format Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting are anticipated to increase their commitments to provide additional heavy artillery weapons in order to address this shortage.

Delivering sufficient arms to Ukraine to achieve parity with Russia will take time and be practical only in the medium to long term, given the number of weapons required. Ukraine's ability to combat Russian soldiers will unquestionably significantly increase if it can match Russian artillery capabilities. Russia is anticipated to intensify offensive operations in an effort to make significant gains before new weapon deliveries have a significant impact on ongoing operations, as its overall military capability advantage is expected to decline.

Image: AP