© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times
Russia launched over 400 drones on 21 July. The same day, Ukrainian allies announced 200,000 shells for the Gepard air defense system at the 29th meeting in the Ramstein format.
The US initiated the Ukraine Defense Contact Group’s meeting in the Ramstein format in 2022. Its purpose is to coordinate international military aid to Ukraine. The meetings bring together more than 50 countries, including NATO states and members of the Coalition of the Willing.
In addition, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, who took office on 17 July, stated that the US has initiated a new mechanism with NATO, allowing European countries to purchase American weapons specifically for Kyiv.
During the meeting, Germany announced it would contribute five Patriot systems, which will be delivered to Ukraine “soon.” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed he had agreed with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on supplying them, RBC-Ukraine reports. The Patriots are the only assets Ukraine has capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Berlin is also supplying over 200,000 shells for the Gepard system and will fund the procurement of Ukrainian long-range drones.
“The parties will coordinate actions to achieve this goal in the coming days,” Pistorius added.
Other aid from allies:
This meeting was co-organized by the defense ministers of the United Kingdom and Germany, John Healey and Boris Pistorius. Representatives from 52 countries and international organizations participated in it.
Key guests included: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher G. Cavoli, and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas.
According to Denys Shmyhal, the meeting was “more technical and coordination-focused,” concentrating on the procurement of American weapons for Ukraine.
He paid special attention to financial support: “Ukraine needs $6 billion to cover this year’s procurement deficit. This will enable us to create more FPV drones, more interceptor drones to counter ‘Shahed’ drones, and additional long-range weapons.”
Ukraine needs $6 billion to cover this year’s procurement deficit. During the latest online meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format on 21 July, new Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal addressed partners and called for continued support.
The US initiated the Ukraine Defense Contact Group’s meeting in the Ramstein format in 2022. Its purpose is to coordinate international military aid to Ukraine. The meetings bring together more than 50 countries, including NATO states and members of the Coalition of the Willing.
This was the first meeting following Shmyhal’s appointment as Defense Minister, replacing Rustem Umerov. The UK and Germany co-chaired the meeting. Participants included US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and NATO’s new commander in Europe, Alexus Grynkievich.
On 17 July 2025, Ukraine received a new government, the first full reshuffle since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. According to experts, Shmyhal was a very effective coordinator inside the government despite never being a big political figure. Now, he’s tasked with bringing that skill to the defense sector.
According to Denys Shmyhal, the meeting was “more technical and coordination-focused,” concentrating on the procurement of American weapons for Ukraine. At the call, he emphasized that Patriot air defense systems and interceptor missiles are “critically important for protecting Ukrainian cities” as Russia escalated its attacks on civilians.
He paid special attention to financial support: “Ukraine needs $6 billion to cover this year’s procurement deficit. This will enable us to create more FPV drones, more interceptor drones to counter ‘Shahed’ drones, and additional long-range weapons.”
Previously, US President Donald Trump announced that he would impose strict secondary tariffs on Russia and its allies if a peace agreement on Ukraine is not reached within the next 50 days. However, a recent Russian attack serves as an indicator that Moscow is just using this time to kill more Ukrainians.
The Ukrainian defense minister also stated the need for sustained support in 2026 and for Ukraine’s inclusion in the European SAFE credit program, a “critically important source of funding for next year.”
Although Ukraine is not a formal member of the initiative, in 2025, the EU granted it associate partner status, recognizing Ukraine’s security as integral to that of Europe. This allows Kyiv to participate in joint defense projects and access funding from SAFE’s credit facility, which totals up to €150 billion.
Germany’s Defense Ministry has denied knowledge of any Patriot systems for Ukraine currently leaving German territory, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s public claim. SRF reports that German officials say no such delivery is underway.
A spokesperson for Germany’s Defense Ministry said they could not confirm that any Patriot systems were presently on the way to Ukraine.
“That is not known to me,” the spokesperson stated, as cited by SRF.
Trump, speaking to journalists in Washington on 15 July, claimed that the first Patriot systems were already being delivered,
“They are coming from Germany,” he added without providing any further details.
Berlin’s response directly contradicts this assertion.
Meanwhile, NATO is preparing to speed up deployment of additional Patriot systems to Ukraine, SRF says. The announcement comes as the country faces some of the heaviest Russian air attacks of the war.
NATO Air Commander Alexus Grynkewich said preparations were ongoing and involved close cooperation with Germany. Speaking at a conference in Wiesbaden, he stated,
“Preparations are underway, we are working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot relocation.” He added, “The instruction I received is to withdraw them as quickly as possible.”
The German Defense Ministry also noted that a virtual meeting of Ukraine’s supporting nations — the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) — would be held on 21 July. The goal of the meeting is to resolve remaining questions and implement the delivery of Patriot systems to Ukraine as swiftly as possible.
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