On March 30, according to information released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin had a phone call about the need to strengthen Kiev's air defense capabilities.
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| Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a meeting in Kiev, Ukraine in 2022. (Source: Breaking Defense) |
During the call, Mr. Umerov provided Mr. Austin with details about recent missile attacks that Russia conducted against Ukrainian cities.
Mr. Umerov stressed the importance of providing additional air and missile defense systems to Kiev. He also thanked Secretary Austin for his continued support for Ukraine.
Earlier, in his speech at the emergency meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, Mr. Umerov called on the international community to provide additional air defense systems to Kiev.
In an interview published by the Washington Post on March 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that if Kiev does not receive military aid as promised from Washington, Ukrainian forces will be forced to withdraw "step by step".
President Zelensky made it clear that without support from the US, Ukraine would not have air defense systems, Patriot missiles, radio jammers for electronic warfare, as well as 155mm artillery shells... This means Ukraine would have to withdraw its troops, "gradually retreat, step by step".
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