Ukrainian defense minister meets with British ambassador

That's according to a statement posted on the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's website, Ukrinform reports.

During the meeting, Umerov congratulated Harris on his appointment and thanked him for the assistance provided by the United Kingdom to Ukraine.

The minister introduced the ambassador to one of his deputies - Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, who is in charge of the development of new weapons and military standards.

He also announced the appointment of a new deputy defense minister, Vitalii Polovenko, who will be responsible for receiving and maintaining equipment in the rear.

The minister said that all purchases should be transparent and all supplies should be uninterrupted, but if "any company or official is compromised, they should be eliminated."

Umerov posted on Facebook that the United Kingdom was the first European country to send weapons to the Ukrainian army to repel Russian aggression.

Umerov briefed Harris on the main areas of work in his position.

"All the reforms we are carrying out, particularly in the field of lethal and non-lethal procurement and defense production, are extremely important for our accession to NATO," he said.

The minister proposed holding regular phone calls with British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.

"I believe that such conversations would be a good opportunity for consultations on all issues related to our cooperation with Britain and the North Atlantic Alliance," Umerov said.

In September 2023, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis received copies of credentials from the newly appointed British ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris.

Photos: www.mil.gov.ua