German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced new military aid for Ukraine during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at Ramstein Air Base on 16 August. Germany will provide Ukraine with 12 modern Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers. Additionally, Pistorius stated that Germany, along with other European partners, plans to transfer 77 Leopard 1A5 tanks “as quickly as possible,” according to Welt.
Pistorius noted that the aid package of howitzers is valued at €150 million, six of them are scheduled for delivery in 2024, with the remaining six to follow in 2025.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting, which is unusual for the Ramstein format typically involving defense ministers and military representatives. During the meeting, Zelenskyy renewed his request for long-range missiles to target locations within Russia and called for additional weapon deliveries.
Welt says the Ukrainian President specifically emphasized Ukraine’s need for more F-16 fighter jets and increased air defense capabilities, and urged Western allies to disregard Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “red lines.”
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