ADVERTISEMENTThe United States will no longer preside over the group of main Ukrainian allies known as Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), leaving it permanently to Europeans from now on, Dutch Minister Ruben Brekelmans said in Euronews.
“The presidency was taken over by Germany and the United Kingdom,” said Brekelmans Minister.
“I think it is good that he has now taken over, that we meet regularly. The United States is still participating,” he said.
“I think it is very important that we have all decided to continue the UDCG, Ramstein Group, a company of more than 50 countries to support Ukraine.”
The UDCG, also known as Ramstein Group, is an alliance of 57 countries (the 32 NATO member states and 25 other countries) and the European Union, providing military equipment to Ukraine since the large -scale invasion.
It is a role formerly exclusively occupied by the United States under the former defense secretary Lloyd Austin, but the successor Pete Hegseth never presided over him.
Since then, the United Kingdom and Germany have entered the violation, but it was not clear if it was a temporary measure so far.
Western sources initially declared that the SEO of the United Kingdom and the German was a stopgap while the Trump administration and the new team knew each other fully with the file.
The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, attended online today.
This decision comes in the middle of a series of other signals from the Trump administration than the American role in NATO decreases.
Western allies are also preparing for the potential removal of thousands of European troops. Currently, the United States has 100,000 soldiers parked mainly in Central Europe.
Brekelmans says that if such an announcement is to come, he hoped that the United States would do it within the framework of a negotiated process, keeping allies during the plans.
“If the United States, over time, decide to reallocate some of its resources to its own region-for the defense of the fatherland-or to Indo-Pacific or elsewhere, I think that the most important thing is that we do it together,” he said.
“We need a common plan where they can change resources, and we, as European countries, can gradually take over.”
“But we have to keep the United States on board. They will remain essential for our security. It is also in the interest of the United States to keep NATO-and that’s what they are still declaring,” concluded Brekelmans.
ADVERTISEMENTThe US NATO delegation has been contacted for comments.
