On Friday, February 7, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha welcomed to Kyiv the newly appointed Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. The Minister expressed his gratitude to the Admiral for his visit, which has become the first foreign trip since his appointment last month.

The parties held talks on further military assistance to Ukraine, strengthening the defense capabilities and resilience of our country, and ways to achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace.

The Foreign Minister informed about the current situation on the battlefield and the priority needs of Ukrainian soldiers: strengthening the capabilities of air defense, combat aircraft, long-range missiles, artillery ammunition, investments in Ukrainian weapons production, including drones and advanced technologies.

The Minister emphasized that Russia has not been able to achieve any strategic goals during this time. Instead, Ukraine has repeatedly proved over the years of full-scale war its ability of achieving success on the battlefield if it has the necessary capabilities. 

"By strengthening our country, the Allies are strengthening themselves as well. After all, the security of Ukraine and the security of the Euro-Atlantic area are inseparable. And it is here, on the battlefield in Ukraine, that its future is decided. Therefore, we need strong decisions by the Allies now. And we have clear recipes for achieving peace through strength, increasing economic and military pressure on Russia, and strengthening Ukraine," emphasized Andrii Sybiha.

Andrii Sybiha underlined that Ukraine's membership in NATO remains the most effective guarantee of long-term security and non-recurrence of Russian aggression. 

In his turn, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee assured that Allied support of Ukraine remains unwavering. He emphasized that our country is already an integral part of the defense architecture and security of the Euro-Atlantic area. He also welcomed Ukraine's implementation of important security and defense sector reforms even during the full-scale war. 

Andrii Sybiha and Giuseppe Cavo Dragone agreed to maintain close contact and coordinate efforts on strengthening  international support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.