Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said he had asked Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin for additional assistance in protecting the country's airspace and coast. This was reported on November 19 by Bloomberg.
It is noted that the dialogue took place during the visit of the Ukrainian delegation of the USA and Canada.
«We need to cover our sky and our sea," Reznikov said after a meeting with the head of the Pentagon.
According to the agency, Reznikov is pleased that Austin promised to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine in the conditions of allegedly increasing tensions on the border with Russia.
On November 11, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that representatives of the administration of the President of the United States Joe Biden voiced concerns at a briefing about Russia's possible preparations for an invasion of Ukraine. The United States discussed possible plans of the Russian Federation after the appearance of some "secret information" that only the States own.
At the same time, as the agency noted, Russia does not intend to start a war with Ukraine now, but allegedly must show readiness to use force if necessary.
After the publication appeared, Dmitry Polyansky, the first deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, denied information about alleged plans to invade Ukraine. He stressed that Russia has never planned an attack on Ukraine and does not plan to.
The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that the Bloomberg material is an empty, groundless escalation of tension. According to him, provocative actions are becoming more and more at the moment. Peskov stressed that this cannot leave Russia indifferent to what is happening.
In addition, Peskov noted that the exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance in the Black Sea region are a matter of concern for the Russian leader. He also said that there are constant operational contacts between the military to de-escalate the situation.
