As part of the visit to the United States, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov had a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Andriy Yermak thanked for the unprecedented defense assistance provided by the United States to combat Russian aggression, which has already reached almost $45 billion.
The Head of the President's Office emphasized the utmost importance of the USA – Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference held in Washington on December 5-6.
"I hope that this conference will be a starting point for active bilateral military-technical cooperation. We will provide all necessary support to American businesses willing to come to Ukraine," he said.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said: "We need a powerful defense coalition to unite our efforts in the fight against Russian terror."
The members of the Ukrainian delegation briefed Lloyd Austin on the situation on the battlefield and the urgent needs of Ukrainian defenders, including armored vehicles, demining vehicles, artillery systems and munitions, long-range missiles, and combat aircraft. Special attention was paid to the need to build a system of fortifications.
The importance of further strengthening Ukraine's air defense to protect Ukrainian cities, critical infrastructure, and grain corridor routes was also emphasized.
Rustem Umerov said: "The future of Ukraine lies in NATO. Therefore, our goal and task is to bring the Defense Forces in line with the principles and standards of the Alliance."
