U.K. Chief of the Defense Staff Adm. Sir Tony Radakin and French Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Thierry Burkhard were in Kiev on April 5, where they met with Ukrainian acting president Zelenskyy. “The meetings focused on how to build on Ukraine’s current capabilities to put the country in the strongest possible position for the future,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “The Defense Chiefs addressed the structure, size and composition required of any future reassurance force in Ukraine. With 30 countries expected to contribute to the Coalition, the U.K.’s leadership has been critical in pulling together partners and allies around the world.”
“The key focus of the meeting was security guarantees for Ukraine and the future architecture of peace in Europe,” said a statement from Zelenskyy’s office. “We are discussing presence on land, in the air, and at sea, as well as air defense. And some other sensitive matters. I believe we will be meeting weekly … at the level of our military,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying.
The U.K. statement notes that the Kiev meeting will be followed by a meeting of the defense chiefs from the “Coalition of the Willing” in Brussels on Thursday, April 10 and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Friday, April 11. Discussions at the April 10 meeting “will build on the military planning that has taken place over the last few weeks with nations looking at contributing their own capabilities to support any future force.”
