Agreements reached during negotiations with British partners are aimed at strengthening Ukraine's security and defence capabilities, stated today, August 18, Minister of Defence of Ukraine Andrii Taran during a joint briefing with Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace, who is in Ukraine on an official visit.

"Today we held fruitful and effective negotiations. The main attention was paid to the discussion of relevant issues of mutual interest. Namely, the assessment of the security situation in Eastern Ukraine and the Azov and Black Sea regions, trends and prospects for its development, as well as ways to respond to emerging threats. We have also discussed the state and prospects of implementation of defence reform objectives, issues of Euro-Atlantic integration, in the context of maximizing the use of new instruments of defence and military cooperation, which Ukraine received with the status of NATO’s Enhanced Opportunities Partner. The priorities of Ukrainian-British defence cooperation were also highlighted, with the key issue - the development of combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy with the participation of the United Kingdom," noted Andrii Taran.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine stressed that all the issues discussed and agreements reached are aimed at strengthening the security and defence capabilities of Ukraine, increasing the operational and combat capabilities of the Armed Forces, ensuring peace and well-being of Ukrainian citizens.

Andriy Taran thanked the British partners for their continued support of Ukraine and fruitful bilateral cooperation.

"I would like to note the significant level of cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom in the political, economic, defense and diplomatic spheres. I also express my gratitude to our colleagues for their consistent and steadfast position in maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state," Andrii Taran stressed.

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine stressed that the visit of the Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom to Ukraine is a significant event that reflects the strategic nature of relations between the countries, large-scale defense cooperation and mutual commitment to peace and security in the region.

In turn, Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace thanked the Ukrainian side for the close cooperation of defense agencies in many areas and assured of the invariability of the British Government's position on supporting Ukraine in the current security environment.