Oleksii Reznikov and Ben Wallace discussed consolidation of Ukraine and Great Britain's efforts to repel Russia's armed aggression

Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace headed the delegation on June 10 on a visit to Kyiv.

On Mykhailivska Square in the capital of Ukraine, the honourable guest was shown destroyed Russian equipment.

"I am satisfied with the effectiveness of our NLAW systems in the hands of the Ukrainian military," said the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who met with Ben Wallace, noted that Western and, in particular, British weapons are one of the factors helping Ukraine destroy the enemy.

“NLAW, Ukrainian anti-tank missiles of "British origin" with Swedish roots is the reason for hundreds of units of destroyed enemy equipment and hundreds of liquidated occupiers. At the same time, thousands of units of Russian equipment, heavy artillery, and aircraft continue to bring death, destruction, and woe to the Ukrainian land and our people. Today you saw Russian military equipment destroyed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ukrainian Donbas and Mykolaiv regions. These exhibits are evidence of the ability of Ukrainian soldiers to use Western weapons and military equipment. But, unfortunately, Russian invaders continue to dominate in the number of heavy artillery, aircraft, missile systems, tanks and armoured vehicles. Every day of the war sees losses of Ukrainian defenders, the killing of civilians. The Russians continue to kill people, destroy infrastructure, destroy the economy. We need more heavy weapons to continue the struggle. This will bring victory over the terrorist state and peace on the European continent,” said Oleksii Reznikov.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine thanked Ben Wallace for British assistance in effectively repelling Russia's armed aggression and Great Britain’s resolute solidarity and support in this difficult time for Ukraine.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi also briefed the British Secretary of State for Defence on the current situation on the front and spoke about the successful use of British military-technical assistance.

The Secretary of State for Defence noted the heroism of the Ukrainian military and assured that the United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine in its struggle for independence and the restoration of territorial integrity.

“We managed to unite the world in support of Ukraine. Cooperation between the United Kingdom and Ukraine will be as effective as possible,” said the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom.

During the talks, the delegations discussed, in particular, the issue of further consolidation of efforts to repel the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and the consistent implementation of bilateral projects to strengthen the capabilities of the Defence Forces of Ukraine.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons, Deputy Minister of Defence Oleksandr Polishchuk, Chief of the Defence Intelligence Major General Kyrylo Budanov and Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa attended the meeting.

The Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace also laid flowers to the Stela in memory of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

It will be recalled that the United Kingdom is strongly supporting the defence capabilities of the Armed Forces. In particular, it had provided high-tech NLAW anti-tank weapons even before the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Eventually, assistance in providing Ukraine with defence equipment has only increased - the British side has already provided anti-tank weapons, air defence, UAVs, night vision devices, communications, equipment and more for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

With the assistance of the British side, work was organized to consolidate the efforts of partner countries in providing international technical assistance to Ukraine, in particular in the framework of the London Donor Conference and the Contact Group on Defence of Ukraine.

In cooperation with the United Kingdom, logistical support for the supply of weapons and other means to Ukraine is being provided.

The focus is also on the development of capabilities for reconnaissance, air defence, coastal protection, counter-battery combat, as well as inflicting long-range fire damage on the enemy. And, of course, the training of our military is important.