This is reported by Kyiv24
On July 21, the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as ‘Ramstein’, takes place. The meeting is organized in a video conference format, chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany.
International Support and New Representatives
Representatives from 52 countries, who have delegated defense ministers or their deputies, are participating in the meeting. Ukraine is represented by the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal, who received congratulations from international partners on his new appointment. The delegation also includes former defense chief Rustem Umerov, who currently serves as the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and previously represented Ukraine in this format.
U.S. Representation and Meeting Details
The U.S. is represented at the meeting by Ambassador to NATO Matthew Vitaker. Earlier, the UK mission to NATO announced the participation of Pete Hegseth, but he is not attending the current meeting.
The previous ‘Ramstein’ meeting took place on June 4 at NATO headquarters, chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany. At that time, Rustem Umerov represented Ukraine. For the first time in the history of these meetings, the U.S. Secretary of Defense did not participate. Following this, Pete Hegseth emphasized that the United States remained represented at the meeting, even in the absence of the Pentagon chief.
“Ukraine is represented by Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal, who is welcomed by meeting participants in his new role, and his predecessor Rustem Umerov, who has taken the position of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and represented Ukraine at previous meetings in this format.”