On February 12, during a working visit of the Ukrainian delegation to NATO Headquarters, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Zagorodnyuk held a meeting with the Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Ben Wallace.
During the meeting, Andriy Zagorodnyuk noted that the Russian Federation is continuing its destabilizing activities in the region, in particular in the Joint Forces operation area in the East of Ukraine and in Azov and Black Sea regions. Among other things, the parties expressed concern over Russia's further build-up of forces along the entire border and on the Crimean peninsula, as well as the expansion of the use of hybrid components, including cyber and information spheres.
An important topic of the meeting was the discussion of a security situation in the Black Sea. In this context, the parties focused on cooperation and the role of the United Kingdom in development of the capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy, improving military infrastructure and training of Ukrainian personnel by British instructors.
Ministers exchanged views on further cooperation in the military - technical field, countering hybrid threats, cyber security and exchange of intelligence data.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk also noted the importance of cooperation with the UK Ministry of Defense and thanked for the comprehensive assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine which is provided by the Government of the United Kingdom.