Zelenskyy and Pentagon chief discuss bolstering Ukraine's air defence and F-16 coalition

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to discuss Ukraine's urgent military needs.

Source: Zelenskyy on social media, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The meeting between the Ukrainian president and the Pentagon chief took place on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore.

"We discussed the key issues: the defence needs of our country, bolstering Ukraine's air defence system, the F-16 coalition, and drafting of a bilateral security agreement," Zelenskyy noted.

The Ukrainian president also thanked US President Joe Biden for making an important decision to authorise Ukraine's strikes on Russian territory with US-supplied weapons.

"We appreciate the vital defence and political support for Ukraine from the United States," Zelenskyy added.

Background: A number of NATO countries – primarily the United States and Germany – have authorised Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia with the weapons supplied by them with some restrictions.

The European Commission has stated that under international law, Ukraine has the right to defend itself against the aggression unleashed, including by striking military targets in Russia.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also insists that Ukraine has the right to strike Russian territory and emphasised that more and more allies agree with this.

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