Luxembourg Contributes €17.5m to IT Coalition within Ukraine Defence Contact Group

On Thursday 9 January 2025, Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, took part in the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

In the presence of President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this assembly of about fifty partner states of Ukraine was held at the invitation of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the US Air Base. The UDCG aims to coordinate military assistance to Ukraine and allows Ukraine to communicate priorities for equipment needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and provide an update on the combat situation.

Ahead of the UDCG plenary meeting, Minister Backes, as a representative of a lead nation of one of the eight capability coalitions formed within this framework, took part in the Capability Coalitions Leadership Group. In this restricted format, the Minister presented the roadmap of the "IT Coalition", under Estonian and Luxembourgish leadership, and she approved, with her counterparts, the eight roadmaps drawn up by all the capability coalitions. Luxembourg participates in four of the eight coalitions: "Air Force, Artillery, Drone and IT".

During the UDCG, Yuriko Backes took stock of the ongoing and completed work of the IT Coalition. Currently, acquisitions for a total of €303 million are being carried out and deliveries worth €92.4 million have been made. Luxembourg contributed €17.5 million to this capability coalition.

Minister Backes reaffirmed Luxembourg's unwavering support for Ukraine. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression on 24 February 2022, the Grand Duchy has invested more than €250 million to support Ukraine at the military level. “Since the last UDCG meeting, we have delivered a wide range of weapons, ammunition and equipment, including heavy machine guns, NLAW anti-tank missiles, 2 million rounds of 12.7 ammunition, observation drones and medical equipment. In 2025, we will continue to support Ukraine with this same level of ambition,” stressed Minister Backes.

Regarding the last UDCG meeting under the leadership of US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, Minister Backes thanked him for his commitment and leadership in providing military support to Ukraine.

Joint Statement of the Coalition Leadership Group

Fulfilling our 12 July 2024, commitment to convene within six months "to review and approve roadmaps prepared by the leaders of the Capability Coalitions — each a Compact Signatory — on future force development through 2027," we, the Co-Lead Nations of the eight Capability Coalitions, have been working with Ukraine to develop respective roadmaps to streamline security assistance efforts for Ukraine within each capability area, support the development of a credible defence and deterrence capability, as well as facilitate Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO.

We hereby endorse the eight roadmaps developed by the Capability Coalitions.

These roadmaps are a substantial step forward in our countries' support for Ukraine, inform the Capability Coalitions' continuing work, as well as send an important demand signal to defence industry.

With an eye to these capability targets for 2027, our countries plan to work closely with Ukraine to identify how to meet these benchmarks, balancing both Ukraine's wartime and future force requirements, through our respective national donations, procurements, investments and efforts to expand defence industrial base capacity, including by leveraging Ukraine's domestic defence industry production and sustainment capabilities. 

Coalitions also plan to continually refine and integrate these detailed plans to support urgent and long-term needs, as Ukraine defends against and deters future Russian aggression.