The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, now led by the U.K. and Germany, will meet virtually on July 21. U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius are expected to discuss U.K. participation in European purchases of U.S. military equipment for Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported on July 18. The U.K.’s contribution could see it jointly purchasing Patriot air-defense systems with Germany, or separately buying other weapons and munitions from the U.S. for Ukraine, with both options under consideration, Bloomberg adds, citing “people familiar with the plans.”
According to Bloomberg, the Trump-NATO plan will be developed during the July 21 meeting, co-chaired by Healey and Pistorius, with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also due to take part. The aim is to determine which European NATO members are willing to provide more money to purchase Patriots from the U.S., as well as which countries can spare more Patriots for Ukraine from their own stocks.
