What the Pentagon Chief and Ukraine's Defense Minister Discussed

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin held a phone conversation with Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, during which they discussed the priorities for the upcoming meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

'Defense Minister Lloyd Austin spoke via phone with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov regarding the priorities for the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels next week, including air defense and artillery,' the Pentagon stated.

Additionally, the ministers discussed the supply of promised resources within the framework of the contact group scheduled for January. According to the statement, Reznikov provided updates on the situation prevailing in Ukraine. The ministers also agreed to maintain communications.

Previously, Russia had sent a note to NATO countries regarding the supply of arms to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries are 'playing with fire' by supplying arms to Ukraine.