US Secretary of Defense and Ukraine's Defence Minister speak twice in a week
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umierov had a telephone conversation on Monday, their second one in less than a week.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umierov spoke on Monday, 19 August. Their last phone conversation took place on 14 August.
Spoke with my Ukrainian counterpart @rustem_umerov yesterday regarding battlefield dynamics & Ukraine’s ongoing operations. The 🇺🇸, along with Allies & partners, remains committed to providing 🇺🇦 with the priority security assistance needed to defend against Russian aggression.
– Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) August 20, 2024
The Pentagon’s press release states that the Ukrainian and US defence officials discussed "battlefield dynamics, Ukraine's ongoing operations, and Ukrainian reconstitution and training efforts".
"Minister [Umierov] provided an update on the impact of Russia’s continued attacks in Ukraine. Secretary Austin and Minister [Umierov] also discussed the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting to continue to support Ukraine's urgent military requirements," according to the press release.
In his first comment regarding Ukraine's offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast on 14 August, US President Joe Biden said that this attack presents Russian leader Vladimir Putin with a "real dilemma".