UK Defence Secretary Streeting visits Kyiv for first time

British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting made his inaugural visit to Kyiv, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ongoing support and critical defense needs. Zelenskyy welcomed Streeting, emphasizing the significance of his visit occurring shortly after a recent Russian attack on Ukrainian territory.

During their discussions, Zelenskyy briefed Streeting on the consequences of the latest Russian assault and highlighted Ukraine's urgent need for enhanced defenses against ballistic missiles, particularly as Russia reportedly aims to increase its missile production before winter. The talks focused on how the UK could assist Ukraine in better protecting its cities and settlements from these threats, exploring both bilateral cooperation and multilateral efforts.

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It was a pleasure to welcome Wes Streeting to Kyiv for the first time. We appreciate that his visit took place immediately after another Russian attack on our people. I informed the Secretary about the consequences of this attack on people's lives and about our needs, as Russia seeks to significantly increase its ballistic missile production before winter.

Zelenskyy noted that the UK has consistently supplied Ukraine with vital equipment. The leaders explored possibilities for joint production of specific weapon types, leveraging the combat-proven capabilities of both nations. They also addressed sanctions against Russian companies involved in ballistic missile manufacturing, aiming to weaken Russia's military capacity and its reliance on ballistic missile attacks. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the UK, its King, Prime Minister, and the British people for their steadfast support.

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In particular, we discussed the possibilities of launching joint production of certain types of weapons, as both the UK and Ukraine have strong, battle-tested capabilities. We also discussed sanctions against Russian companies involved in the production of ballistic missiles. All efforts to weaken the Russian war machine and its reliance on ballistic terror are important.