Umerov met with Pentagon chief Austin: A significant amount of work lies ahead.

He reported this on social media.

The ministers discussed the preparations for the meeting and key areas of cooperation.

As Umerov explained, on January 9, coalition leaders will approve "roadmaps" for each of the eight areas of cooperation. These roadmaps are intended to outline strategic goals and key military assistance needs at least until the end of 2027.

“These documents, developed and agreed upon jointly by Ukraine and its partners, will serve as the foundation for support and allocation of aid in areas such as air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, drones, air forces, maritime security, and other important sectors. A lot of work lies ahead,” noted Umerov.

Recall that the media reported that President Joe Biden's team plans to announce a military aid package for Ukraine worth $500 million on January 9 — the last before the change of administration in the country.

Additionally, around $3.8 billion allocated for supporting Kyiv will remain unused. The Pentagon noted that the new Donald Trump administration will be able to utilize these funds for supporting Ukraine if it chooses to do so.

What is “Ramstein”?

This refers to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was established to assess Ukraine's defense needs and provide assistance. The first meeting of the Contact Group took place on April 26, 2022, at the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, with participation from 40 countries.

Currently, the "Ramstein" Contact Group includes about 50 countries that are providing military assistance to Ukraine. Notably, at the penultimate meeting, Argentina joined the “Ramstein”.

Last fall, U.S. President Joe Biden convened a leaders' level “Ramstein” meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expected it to be “special” — Ukraine is looking for specific actions from its partners to strengthen its strategy.

However, due to Hurricane “Milton,” Biden remained in the U.S. to oversee preparations and response efforts. After that, there were no further updates regarding his participation in the meeting.