Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov in advance of the May 25 virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting, which will focus on sustaining Ukraine’s armored maneuver capabilities and bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses against Russia’s continued brutal attacks. Secretary Austin also provided an update on recent U.S. security assistance efforts.
The two leaders pledged to remain in close contact.