US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held telephone conversations with his Ukrainian counterpart Alexei Reznikov on January 13, US military spokesman John Kirby said.
He said that the parties discussed the “building up” of Russia’s military power in and around Ukraine.
“Secretary Austin reaffirmed U.S. unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including efforts to build the capacity of the country’s military through the provision of defensive assistance,” Kirby said in a statement.
The ministers of the United States and Ukraine also expressed support for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and pledged to continue their close coordination.
Earlier, a US military delegation visited Ukraine to study its needs for air defense (AD) assets. On January 10, the Pentagon reported that US experts had reviewed air and missile defense assets and consulted with the Ukrainians about how they see their defense needs.
On October 19, 2021, Lloyd Austin visited Kiev and met his former Ukrainian colleague Andrey Taran. They discussed cooperation to ensure security in the Black Sea. In the evening, the head of the Pentagon met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who during the talks said that the United States remains Ukraine’s main partner in the field of security and defense.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
