Skip to content
Edit post

Umerov and Austin hold first call, discuss upcoming Ramstein meeting

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk September 11, 2023 8:32 PM 2 min read
Rustem Umerov sits in the Ukrainian parliament during voting in favour of his nomination as the Ukrainian defence minister in Kyiv on September 6, 2023. (Photo by ANDRII NESTERENKO / AFP) (Photo by ANDRII NESTERENKO/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.

Become a member Support us just once

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and recently-appointed Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov have held their first phone call, the U.S. Defense Department said on Sept. 11.

Austin congratulated Umerov on his appointment and updated him on U.S. security assistance, the Defense Department reported.

Umerov, the former head of the State Property Fund, replaced Oleksii Reznikov as a defense minister on Sept. 6.

Reznikov resigned on Sept. 3 following to two major procurement corruption scandals in the Defense Ministry.

Austin and Umerov exchanged views "on priorities to support Ukraine’s immediate battlefield needs and capability requirements over the long term," according to the U.S. Defense Department.

Umerov said that he briefed Austin on "the recent developments at the front line," and was grateful to the U.S. for its "support and contribution to Ukraine's victory".

He added that he expressed his condolences to his U.S. counterpart on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  

The two also discussed the agenda for the last Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein NATO base in Germany, which will be held on Sept. 19.

The last Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was held in July. The format coordinates the efforts of the U.S. and its allies to provide military aid to Ukraine.

On Sept. 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky assigned five key priorities to the new defense minister: strengthening the central role of the ministry in the defense sector, putting soldiers as the foremost value, expanding international partnerships, curbing corruption, and reforming the military to NATO standards.

Who is Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s soon-to-be defense minister?
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sept. 3 that Rustem Umerov was Ukraine’s soon-to-be defense minister, he said the former MP “needs no introduction.” Days before, Umerov had been rumored to be the main candidate to replace Oleksiy Reznikov, who had held the post since Novemb…

News Feed

11:14 PM

Romania denies downing Russian drones over Ukraine.

Videos on social media that purport to show Romanian air defense units shooting down Russian attack drones above Ukraine are spreading a false narrative, Romania's Defense Ministry said in a statement on July 26.
Ukraine Daily
News from Ukraine in your inbox
Ukraine news
Please, enter correct email address
3:38 PM

Russian ex-deputy defense minister arrested on corruption charges.

In his previous position, former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov was in charge of the military's logistics chains during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His dismissal was widely seen as a response to the logistic failures that accompanied the early months of Russia's all-out war.
11:31 AM

Сeasefire would leave 25% of Ukraine under Russian control, ambassador says.

"Many countries have proposed the idea of a ceasefire, but no one thinks about what it means. Some 25% of Ukrainian territory would remain under Russian control, which means buying time for Russia to strengthen its capabilities and resume its attacks on Ukraine," Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.