What’s Next in the Ukraine War? Washington and Kyiv plot what is coming: U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley met with his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday for the first time.
The meeting took place in an undisclosed location in Poland, close to the Ukrainian border, according to a statement from the Pentagon.
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Milley reportedly met with Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi for several hours, discussing the war with Russia and the path forward.
The meeting was reportedly arranged after Zaluzhnyi said that he was unable to attend a meeting of NATO military officials due to take place in Brussels this week.
The two military officials were joined by five Americans, including security personnel and a translator.
Col. David Butler, a spokesman for the United States military confirmed that the pair met and discussed Ukraine’s plans to continue countering Russian aggression. Butler also said that the in-person meeting was essential at this point in the conflict.
“They’ve talked in detail about the defense that Ukraine is trying to do against Russia’s aggression,” Butler said. “And it’s important – when you have two military professionals looking each other in the eye and talking about very, very important topics, there’s a difference.”
Zaluzhnyi also confirmed the meeting on Twitter, writing that the pair had their first in-person meeting in Poland.
“My first personal meeting with #GenMilley, Chairman of @thejointstaff happened in [Poland]. Extended my gratitude for the unwavering support & assistance provided by [the United States]& allies to [Ukraine]. Outlined the urgent needs of the #AFU meeting which will accelerate our Victory,” Zaluzhnyi wrote.
Before the meeting took place, the two top military officials reportedly met frequently remotely.
Outlined “Urgent Needs” for Ukraine
In a statement shared on Telegram, Zaluzhnyi also revealed that he had outlined Ukraine’s most urgent needs during the meeting with Milley.
“I outlined the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the fulfillment of which will accelerate our Victory,” the Ukrainian military leader wrote. He did not, however, reveal what those urgent needs are.
Previously, Zaluzhnyi suggested that Ukraine is in need of tanks and other military vehicles to continue the fight against the Russians. Speaking to The Economist in December, Zaluzhnyi said that he needed 300 tanks, up to 700 infantry fighting vehicles, and 500 howitzers.
He insisted that Ukraine can beat the Russians, but only with the necessary equipment.
Some of those demands have since been met, with the United Kingdom pledging Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine in recent days.
The United States, however, has yet to confirm any new shipments of advanced tanks.
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Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
