Defense minister informed about the results of the Ramstein meeting

Source: Ukraine’s defense minister Rustem Umerov

Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov told about the results of the 22nd meeting within the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine.

During the meeting on May 20, the parties discussed the current situation at the front, agreeing on the need to strengthen and accelerate the supply of weapons to the Defense Forces.

As Umerov noted, during the time that has passed since the previous meeting, the Russian troops have significantly intensified their attacks, trying to stretch the Ukrainian defense along the 1,200-kilometer front.

‘We are repelling this offensive: we are restoring existing combat units and creating new brigades,’ the minister stated.

According to Umerov, heavy weapons are currently a priority for Ukraine: tanks, armored personnel carriers, howitzers.

The minister also noted that medium- and long-range air defense systems are an urgent need, since massive Russian missile strikes have caused a difficult situation in the Ukrainian energy sector. He added that these strikes also pose a potential danger to neighboring countries.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.