The issues were discussed in Kyiv during a meeting between Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Mykhailo Fedorov, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The talks took place ahead of the next Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in the Ramstein format.
The main focus of the meeting was strengthening Ukraine’s air defence. Fedorov thanked NATO and partner countries for their support in improving Ukraine’s ability to defend against air attacks.
The ministry said Fedorov also stressed the importance of the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, known as PURL. The mechanism is intended to enable the rapid delivery of critically needed weapons to Ukraine.
For Ukraine, PURL is one of the key tools for protecting cities, critical infrastructure and civilians from Russian aerial attacks. The ministry said ballistic missiles remain the main challenge for Ukrainian air defence.
Ukraine said it is gaining the initiative across all domains of warfare. On the ground, the Defence Forces are conducting operations to liberate occupied territories and have for several consecutive months caused Russian personnel losses greater than the enemy can replace, according to the ministry.
At the same time, the ministry said Russia continues to strike critical infrastructure and civilian sites because it is unable to prevail on the battlefield. Ensuring access to Patriot missiles and developing new capabilities against ballistic threats therefore remain key priorities.
The parties also discussed plans for further support to Ukraine. At the June Ramstein-format meeting, Ukraine expects partner contributions for its main defence priorities.
These priorities include contributions to the PURL initiative and deliveries of PAC-3 missiles through the JUMPSTART mechanism. Ukraine also expects extended-range shells through the Czech initiative and funding for Ukrainian-made drones.
Fedorov thanked Rutte for his role in coordinating Allied efforts ahead of the upcoming meeting. The ministry said this coordination is intended to help ensure the meeting’s effectiveness.
Ukraine and NATO also discussed expanding mutually beneficial cooperation. As part of this work, Ukraine is preparing to launch the UNITE – Brave NATO initiative to support joint defence projects.
The Ministry of Defence said it will continue working with NATO and partners on solutions that strengthen Ukraine now while also reinforcing Allied security. It also noted that PAC-3 missiles remain among the key elements of Ukraine’s air defence because of their capabilities against ballistic threats.
