GD Deputy Defense Minister Participates in 29th Ramstein Group Online Meeting
Georgian Dream Deputy Defense Minister Paata Patiashvili participated in the 29th Ramstein-format meeting, held online this time, bringing together defense ministers and senior officials from NATO member and partner countries.
The Ramstein format, formally known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, was established under the U.S. initiative in April 2022 and serves as a key platform for organizing international defense assistance to Ukraine against Russia. Since February 2025, the group has been co-coordinated by the United Kingdom and Germany.
The 29th session was chaired by U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte addressing the participants.
“The International Group members highlighted the current war situation in Ukraine and spoke about the need for military assistance and urgent support to Ukraine,” Georgia’s Defense Ministry said in a July 21 press release.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said the message of the meeting was that “the free world stands with Ukraine and supports peace.” He noted that the meeting resulted in the launch of a U.S.-NATO mechanism to supply American weapons to Ukraine, with EU countries ready to co-finance the effort. Germany pledged to join the initiative by contributing five Patriot air defense systems, 200,000 Gepard rounds, and funding for long-range drones procurement.
Additional commitments were made by Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, which announced financial and military defense support packages.
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