The Pentagon announced on Monday (July 1) that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss enhancing military cooperation between the two countries.
Sabrina Singh, Deputy Press Secretary of the US Department of Defense, stated at a press conference, “Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov will discuss bilateral military cooperation, regional security issues, and how to strengthen the defense partnership between the United States and Ukraine.”
According to Reuters, prior to this meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy requested allied countries for more weapons following a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, resulting in seven fatalities.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has been the largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine. The Biden administration has provided over $5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Last week, the US government announced it would provide Ukraine with $150 million worth of weapons and ammunition, including HAWK missile defense systems and 155mm artillery ammunition.
In a video address over the weekend, Zelenskiy stated, “The sooner the world helps us deal with Russian warplanes firing these bombs, the sooner we can strike… Russia’s military infrastructure, military airfields, the closer we are to peace.”
For two years, Kyiv has been requesting allied nations to provide F-16 fighter jets to help counter Russian forces, but these aircraft have yet to be delivered.
Sabrina Singh, Deputy Press Secretary of the US Department of Defense, did not specify when Ukraine would receive the fighter jets at the press conference but mentioned that training for Ukrainian pilots on operating these aircraft has begun.