Zelensky met with the head of the Pentagon

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Washington. The press service of the President’s Office reported this on Thursday, September 21.

The main topic of the negotiations was to provide Ukraine with the necessary military support to counter Russian aggression.

“This support is decisive. The United States is our main ally and partner, helping us win the war,” Zelensky said.

The parties discussed the supply of artillery systems and long-range weapons. The President also noted the importance of strengthening the air defense in Ukraine and the need for the timely supply of the necessary weapons and ammunition from partners to continue the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories.

During the meeting, the issues of further intensification of the development of military-technical and defense-industrial cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, and the creation of hubs for organizing Western-style weapons and artillery systems were also raised. The head of state noted that Ukraine is interested in cooperation with international partners in increasing its own capabilities for the production of weapons and related products.

Zelensky also invited the American side to participate in the International Forum of Defense Industries, which will be held in Kyiv this fall.

As part of the meeting, the President of Ukraine and the First Lady laid flowers at the memorial to those killed in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

Let’s note that this is Zelensky’s second visit to the United States since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and it comes as the US Congress considers the White House’s request for additional $24 billion in aid to Ukraine .

In recent days, the President of Ukraine spent in New York, where he spoke at the UN General Assembly and at a meeting of the UN Security Council, and also met with a number of world leaders.