On 22 September 2023, Ukraine’s top military commander, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, spoke with outgoing US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley and his successor, General Charles Brown. Zaluzhnyi emphasized Ukraine’s continued need for advanced air defenses and artillery systems and thanked Milley personally.

“I thanked General Milley personally,” Zaluzhnyi stated on Friday. “From the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, especially in the most difficult moments of this war, General Milley has always been by the side of our people.”

Milley’s term concludes this month after serving as a top US military officer since 2019. Zaluzhnyi praised his “titanic work, important advice, comprehensive assistance and support” during Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia.

Milley arranged an introductory call between Zaluzhnyi and his successor, General Brown, signaling continuity in the strategic US-Ukraine military partnership. Maintaining aid and cooperation from the US and other Western allies remains vital for Ukraine to repel Russia’s aggression.