President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin at the Pentagon, US Department of Defense reported.
Following his meeting with US senators on 21 September, President Zelenskyy went to the Pentagon to meet US military leaders and discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and Ukrainian defensive capabilities.
The parties discussed the supply of artillery systems and long-range weapons. The President of Ukraine also stressed the importance of bolstering Ukraine’s air defense and the need for a timely supply of necessary weapons and ammunition from partners to continue the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories.
“This support is crucial. The United States is our key ally and partner that helps us win the war,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the United States for the Ukraine Defense Contact Group leadership in the Ramstein format, which has brought together more than 50 states.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout of Zelenskyy’s meeting with US Secretary of Defense Austin:
“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met today with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to reaffirm the steadfast US support for Ukraine. Secretary Austin provided an update on how US security assistance is meeting Ukraine’s most urgent needs, and the outcomes of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group held in Ramstein, Germany earlier this week. The leaders also discussed Ukraine’s long-term capability requirements and how support from the United States and other partners will help build a more robust Ukrainian force, capable of defending Ukraine for years to come.”
As part of the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, laid flowers at the National Memorial in Washington, DC, to those killed in the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack.
Credit: president.gov.ua
After the meeting at the Pentagon, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Joe Biden at the White House, where the US president is expected to announce a new package of US military aid for Ukraine.
This is Zelenskyy’s second visit to Washington since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. This visit of the President of Ukraine to the United States comes as the US Congress is considering the White House’s request for an additional $24 billion in aid to Ukraine.
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