Original subtitles

What's the word on Ramstein?

I will say right away that the final results of the Ramstein meeting will be known closer

to February 24, when most of the countries in the group plan to announce their military assistance.

But some things can already be announced.

Firstly, the head of the Pentagon Austin has confirmed the thesis,

that America will not block the countries, wishing to transfer F-16s,

but will not transfer the planes themselves, because there are more urgent demands in

armament. They are now covering Ukraine's needs in air defense, armored vehicles, and training.

Secondly, there is talk about the planes and the process is moving, but we will not always

see this movement. The head of the Netherlands Defense Ministry said that the negotiations on

fighter jets will go on in a closed format. As the phrase goes "all in good time". The German

Minister of Defense clearly has a better sense of the conjuncture regarding the terms of assistance

to Ukraine than his predecessor. That is why he changed his position "under no circumstances" to

"we will consider it in 3-4 months after Ukraine's air defense is strengthened".

Third, Sky News reports that the US government will provide Ukraine with a package of budget aid

of $ 10 billion and separately another large package of military aid until February 24.

I think this $10 billion will be used primarily to maintain the stability of

payments to the military, and secondarily to free up budget

funds so that Ukraine can buy its own weapons for "non-escalation."

Fourthly, Sweden confirmed that there was a request from Ukraine for Gripen fighters,

but again stressed that there are restrictions and air defense priority.

Now to the informal.

For me, the behavior of Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov was interesting - uncovered joy,

performance with a handkerchief on which was depicted the plane even before Ramstein’s

decisions. It says either there is a reason to be optimistic, or the man is an optimist in life.

In general, notice an interesting thing - how little the press covered

the long-awaited Ramstein, how restrained and very balanced everyone is in their comments.

Reznikov: "They talked about tanks". Austin: "Working on immediate needs."

Stoltenberg: "What matters is the speed at which fighters can be provided to Ukraine.

I have a feeling that there is a very strong security information control going on right

now in order to outplay Moscow. Everything is going on within the framework of the US

statement that they will create conditions for Ukraine to go on a spring counteroffensive.

F-16s, Gripen obviously will not make it by the date, so they will limit themselves to Flankers

and Fulcrums, which will become known only when they are already in Ukraine as it was with the

Polish disassembled MiGs. And the priority now is faster armored support capabilities, artillery,

accumulation of the necessary amount of ammunition, high-precision projectiles,

and other things that could potentially be delivered in a couple of months.

All this with a gradual strengthening of air defenses to protect future aircraft.

No one expected a conflict of such intensity and duration,

as it had not been since the end of the Second World War.

And in a few days it will be a year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.