NATO has determined the date and venue for the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format. According to the alliance's press service, reported by RBC-Ukraine, the meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The organizers and moderators of the meeting this time will be Great Britain and Germany.
A Format Uniting Over 50 Countries
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format was established in April 2022 at the initiative of the United States. Its main task has been to coordinate military assistance to Kyiv from international partners. Over the course of its work, the format has evolved into one of the key platforms for coordinating arms supplies, training, and logistical support: the group includes more than 50 states, making it one of the widest-composition mechanisms of military-political interaction surrounding Ukraine.
Britain and Germany as New Moderators
An important organizational change is that following the change of power in the US in early 2025, Contact Group meetings are officially led no longer by Washington, but by London and Berlin. According to a NATO statement, these very two countries will also hold the upcoming meeting on November 17. The transition of the moderator role to European capitals reflects the redistribution of responsibility for coordinating military support for Ukraine amid the changed position of the American administration.
Context: Call to Transfer 10% of Interceptor Stocks
The scheduling of the meeting comes against the backdrop of Kyiv's active efforts to strengthen air defense. Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara previously urged partners to consider transferring 10% of their existing interceptor stocks to Ukraine, including missiles for Patriot and IRIS-T systems. According to him, Kyiv is ready to contract these complexes using a European Union loan, making the issue of air defense ammunition availability one of the central topics on the agenda of the upcoming negotiations.
Kyiv Awaits Pentagon Signature on Patriot and NASAMS
Additional context is provided by a statement from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who reported that Ukraine has been waiting for almost a month for Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth's signature on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems. The head of state emphasized that Kyiv plans to hold talks with Washington to resolve this issue. Thus, the November 17 meeting in Brussels will serve as a platform where Ukraine intends to advance the topic of air defense supplies and coordinate further steps with European and American partners.
