U.S., Ukrainian Defense Chiefs Hold Talks Ahead Of Contact Group Meeting

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has talked on the phone with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov ahead of a virtual meeting on May 25 of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), the Pentagon press service said. During the call on May 23, Austin provided an update on recent U.S. security assistance efforts for Ukraine. The UDCG, which groups dozens of countries that have supported Kyiv in its fight against invading Russian forces, is to discuss ways to sustain Ukraine's armored maneuver capabilities and bolster its air defenses against Russia's continued attacks, the Pentagon said.