President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Secretary of Defense of the United States of America Lloyd Austin who is in Kyiv on a working visit.
“I want to thank you for coming to Ukraine, as we agreed in the United States. Thank you and President Biden for the continued support of Ukraine, our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
During the meeting, the parties paid special attention to the issue of further deepening practical cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of security and defense in accordance with the agreements reached during the visit of the President of Ukraine to the United States.
“The United States remains Ukraine’s key partner in security and defense,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said and expressed gratitude to the United States for the logistical assistance in enhancing the capabilities of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to counter Russian aggression.
The parties noted the speed of the implementation of the decision announced during the visit of the President of Ukraine to Washington to provide additional security assistance to our state in the amount of $ 60 million.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Lloyd Austin exchanged views on the security situation in eastern Ukraine, as well as in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The President noted that Ukraine is trying to intensify the work of all negotiation formats in order to achieve peace in the east and restore sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The interlocutors discussed topical issues of Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO and further support from the United States in the realization of our country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
The United States Secretary of Defense was briefed on steps taken to reform Ukraine’s security and defense sector, including the domestic defense industry, in line with NATO standards in order to meet the criteria for NATO membership as soon as possible.
During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Lloyd Austin touched upon the issues of energy security of Ukraine and Europe.
The US Secretary of Defense assured the Ukrainian President of the United States’ resolute support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
