Ukraine says it held talks with US on supporting defence projects under joint fund
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Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the G-7 summit in Canada.
PHOTO: X/@SVYRYDENKO_Y
KYIV – Senior Ukrainian officials spoke with their US counterparts about the possibility of supporting defence projects in Ukraine under a joint investment fund set up in May, Kyiv’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on June 18.
Kyiv is aiming to shore up support from Washington, which has been its top military backer, as it seeks to end its grinding war with Russia, now in its fourth year.
Ms Svyrydenko said the discussions included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and took place during the Group of Seven summit in Canada.
“Talks focused on expanding the fund’s mandate to support defence sector projects inside Ukraine,” she wrote on social media platform X.
The two countries established a joint reconstruction fund as part of a deal allowing US access to Ukrainian minerals, which Kyiv hopes will pave the way for more support against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Ms Svyrydenko did not specify the nature of the defence projects.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously asked the US for a licence to produce critical Patriot air-defence systems used to shoot down ballistic missiles.
He has also said Kyiv is willing to purchase weapons from the US, which under the Trump administration has not announced any new arms packages for Ukraine. REUTERS
