US officials have been briefed. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reveals that during the visit of Keith Kellogg, the US presidential envoy, to Kyiv, the Ukrainian side shared alarming intelligence on the Kremlin’s plans.
On 14 July, Kellogg arrived in Ukraine to discuss concrete steps toward peace. He has already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The talks came against the backdrop of intensified Russian assaults, over 330 missiles, 5,000 drones, and 5,000 aerial bombs launched in June alone.
The Ukrainian defense minister says that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff, Major General Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, and other intelligence officials held a briefing for the US side.
According to Umerov, Ukrainian officials explicitly warned their American counterparts: Russia is preparing for a large-scale war, not only against Ukraine, but also against the North Atlantic Alliance.
“They presented the operational situation, assessed enemy plans, and informed about Russia’s preparations for a broader-scale war,” the minister states.
Umerov describes the conversation with Kellogg as “substantive and candid,” focusing on achieving a lasting and just peace. Key topics included continued defense support, joint defense projects, and the localization of air defense and drone production in Ukraine and Europe.
He also notes that Ukraine has a “unique combat experience, especially in the field of drones, and we are ready to share it,” with the US, adding that some of the defense projects could be financed using frozen Russian assets.