The head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, discussed with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexei Reznikov the build-up of the defense potential of Kiev, TASS reports.
On November 18, the new head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Oleksiy Reznikov, met with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington. Experts note that contacts between the United States and Ukraine in the defense sphere have grown significantly in recent months.
The parties discussed “a number of security issues, including Russia’s destabilizing actions in the region, and agreed to work closely together to fulfill the common priority tasks set out in the Framework Agreement on the Strategic Framework for Defense Partnerships between the United States and Ukraine, signed on August 31, 2021, including building Ukraine’s potential for effective defense of a sovereign territory”.
“Austin reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called on Minister Reznikov to support progress in defense and defense industry reforms, and promised to assist Ukraine in implementing NATO principles and standards,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.