Long-range weapons and strategy for restoration of peace: Zelensky meets with Blinken and Lammy
President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Lammy the topics of long-range weapons and the needs of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
Ukraine’s President posted this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.
"All key issues have been discussed. It is important that Ukrainian arguments are heard. This applies to long-range weapons, the provision of combat brigades at the front, and the general strategy for restoration of just peace," Zelensky said.
According to him, the participants of the meeting paid special attention to the preparation of the second Peace Summit and the steps that will make it effective.
"Thank you for your constant support of our independence, Ukrainian defense and protection of the lives of our people," the Head of State said.
The Presidential Office informed that during the meeting, Zelensky emphasized the importance of stable and strong support of Ukraine from leading partners, and also commended the personal participation of high-ranking US and UK officials in the Fourth Summit of the International Crimean Platform.
“First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the strong support of our country to President Joseph Biden and the Congress – for the bipartisan support. We are also very grateful to the United Kingdom for your support and leadership on many security issues. Both of your countries have been leaders in supporting Ukraine since the very beginning of the full-scale war,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The President informed about the situation on the frontline and the priority needs of the Defense Forces. He also stressed that it is important for Ukraine to receive permission to use long-range weapons provided by the United States and other partners as soon as possible.
The parties also discussed the prospects of cooperation in the defense industry within the framework of the signed bilateral security agreements. The Head of State noted that the focus should be on joint production in Ukraine.
He thanked Antony Blinken for the sanctions package adopted the day before against Iran in connection with the supply of ballistic missiles to Russia.
The President also noted the effective defense cooperation with the United Kingdom, which allows our warriors to defend Ukraine on land and at sea. The Head of State expressed gratitude for the new defense package announced at the Ramstein meeting last week.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and David Lammy discussed the implementation of the security agreement and approved further steps towards the conclusion of a new bilateral agreement on the transition to a stronger and deeper partnership.
The President stressed the importance of increasing the UK's sanctions pressure on Russia and its satellites. In particular, he expressed gratitude for the introduction of new sanctions against Iran and the Russian shadow fleet and aerospace forces.
The parties discussed future contacts between state leaders in the framework of the UN General Assembly session in New York this month and coordinated approaches to joint events on the sidelines of the General Assembly session.
As reported by Ukrinform, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed the irreversibility of Ukraine's path towards NATO membership and emphasized the importance of implementing relevant reforms in the country.