Ukraine, US military chiefs discuss 'priorities' ahead of western allies' meetings in Brussels

Ukraine and US military chiefs have discussed the latest developments in the West’s war against Russia and weapons "priorities" for Kiev ahead of the next western allies' meeting in Brussels.

The Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov discussed the importance of delivering new lethal weapons, including air system and artillery, as quickly as possible, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, said in a statement.

After securing a promise of scores of modern battle tanks from the US, the UK, and Germany, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging allies to send fighter aircraft. The request has been refused till now.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group is set to meet on Tuesday at the NATO headquarters following a Jan. 20 conference at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany that was key for the decisions to send battle tanks to Kiev.

The group has already provided huge shipments of weapons and munitions to the Kiev forces fighting Russia.

MG