President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.
They discussed the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Ankara, particularly the important decisions to strengthen Ukraine's air defense and their implementation. First and foremost, this concerns agreements on licenses to produce missiles for the Patriot systems.
"I think it was a very successful summit, and during your visit we discussed many different issues. We are deeply grateful to the United States for your tremendous support," the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also briefed Matthew Whitaker on the battlefield situation.
"Every day is difficult for our warriors, of course, and that's understandable. But the initiative is not in Russia's hands, and I think that's a good thing," the Head of State noted.
The parties also discussed work on a future Drone Deal agreement between Ukraine and the United States, as well as the documents that have already been signed, bringing the two countries closer to concluding the Drone Deal. It is important that Ukraine is now able to send its drones to the United States for testing.
The President also thanked Matthew Whitaker for his contribution to implementing the PURL initiative, which has been a great help to Ukraine in obtaining the capabilities it needs to protect its skies.
"PURL has been a tremendous success. It was created by President Trump a year ago, and he asked me to coordinate it. I believe we've now reached nearly $8 billion. This is U.S. equipment paid for with European funding. That's exactly how the program was designed. It should continue to grow and become even more successful in helping you," the U.S. Ambassador to NATO emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented the Order of Merit, III class, to Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, Commander of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine mission and the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine, who also attended the meeting, and thanked him for his support.