U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley held his first in-person meeting with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Valerii Zaluzhnyi in Poland on January 17.
Both military chiefs met at an undisclosed military base in southeastern Poland and held talks for about two hours.
According to the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs, both leaders discussed the “unprovoked and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and exchanged perspectives and assessments.”
During his meeting with General Zaluzhnyi, U.S. Chairman JCS General Milley “reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement added.
My first personal meeting with #GenMilley, Chairman of @thejointstaff happened in 🇵🇱.
— Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (@CinC_AFU) January 17, 2023
Extended my gratitude for the unwavering support & assistance provided by 🇺🇸 & allies to 🇺🇦.
Outlined the urgent needs of the #AFU meeting which will accelerate our Victory. pic.twitter.com/A7e3pzODNR
U.S. General Mark Milley’s spokesperson Army Colonel Dave Butler said that “These guys have been talking on a very regular basis for about a year now, and they’ve gotten to know each other. They’ve talked in detail about the defense that Ukraine is trying to do against Russia’s aggression. And it’s important — when you have two military professionals looking each other in the eye and talking about very, very important topics, there’s a difference.”
Butler also highlighted that the meeting between the military chiefs of the U.S. and Ukraine would allow General Milley to have a better understanding of Zaluzhnyi’s concerns. Milley will deliberate those concerns to NATO military leaders during the upcoming meeting.
Milley will “describe the tactical and operational conditions on the battlefield and what the military needs are for that. And the way he does that is one, by understanding it himself, but by also talking to Zaluzhnyi on a regular basis,” Butler added.
In recent months, the United States and NATO allies have intensified military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense unveiled the country’s largest military aid package for Ukraine, worth $3.75 billion.
The latest military aid package largely consists of weapons and equipment from the U.S. inventories valued at up to $2.85 billion and there is an additional $225 million in foreign military financing to contribute to the long-term capacity and modernization of Ukraine’s military.
U.S. military package also includes at least 50 M2-A2 Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicles for the Ukrainian military. Apart from the Bradley vehicles, the U.S. is also sending 100 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, 138 Humvees, 18 155 mm self-propelled Howitzers, Remote Anti-Armor Mine Systems, mine-resistant vehicles, and about 2,000 anti-armor rockets.
