WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2021) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov at the Pentagon to discuss a range of security issues including Russia's recent military movements in the region, the Defense Department said in a news post.
"The leaders discussed a range of security issues, including Russia's destabilizing actions in the region, and they agreed to work closely together to advance the shared priorities outlined in the US-Ukraine Strategic Defense Framework signed on Aug. 31," the article said on Thursday.
Austin said that he looked forward to discussing how the two countries can implement the framework to counter Russian alleged aggression and deepen cooperation in areas such as Black Sea security, cyber defense and intelligence sharing.
Reznikov said Ukraine is determined to further develop the partnership, particularly in countering Russian hybrid attacks.
Later on Thursday, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said on Twitter that she met with Reznikov, adding that the United States' commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity is ironclad.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Washington should understand that Kiev is just waiting for a provocation against Russia, which will inevitably entail the latter's response.
