President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Secretary of State of the United States Anthony Blinken.
"Our meeting reiterates the strong support from the United States for our independence and sovereignty and reaffirms the fundamental principle that no decision on Ukraine can be made without Ukraine," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to US President Joseph Biden for the United States' help and unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of existing security challenges.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the security situation around our country and the steps being taken within the existing negotiation formats, as well as other modalities of political and diplomatic settlement.
"We want to intensify the work of all negotiation formats and pave the way for the Normandy Summit," said the President of Ukraine.
The Head of State noted the importance of the fact that the ceasefire in Donbas is observed and no Ukrainian servicemen were killed this week. The President of Ukraine stressed that everything necessary will be done to achieve peace. This is what a number of Ukrainian peace initiatives put forward, inter alia, within the Trilateral Contact Group are aimed at.
During the meeting, bilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense was discussed in detail. The President of Ukraine stressed the importance of enhancing American assistance aimed at improving the capabilities of the Armed Forces of our state and their ability to resist aggression.
"To take very quick steps to modernize the army, we need help, especially in such difficult times," said the President.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue of support for our country's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, in particular Ukraine's expectations from the NATO Summit in Madrid.
The Head of State also stated the need to impose preventive sanctions against Russia in order to curb the Kremlin's aggressive intentions. In this context, the President stressed that Nord Stream 2 is a geopolitical weapon and a threat to the energy security of Ukraine and Europe.
In addition, the interlocutors discussed the current state of implementation of transformations in Ukraine, touched upon the domestic political situation in our country.
"It is important for us to intensify economic cooperation. We are interested in the practical, significant assistance of the United States in strengthening the stability of our country's financial system," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
