US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin on Thursday received Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov at the Pentagon.

During the meeting, Austin reiterated America's unwavering support for Ukraine’s ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity' and asserted that the US had made its concerns vocal about Russia's "destabilizing activities". 

I welcomed new MinDef @oleksiireznikov to the Pentagon today and reaffirmed unwavering support. I look forward to continuing to build on the strategic defense partnership between our two great nations. pic.twitter.com/cUCNTVh958

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) November 19, 2021

The senior official highlighted the US desire for more transparency from Moscow's side, confirming that they have been closely monitoring the Russian military movements on the Ukrainian borders.

Austin also highlighted the importance of regional security, stressing that the US will continue to consult with Ukraine, allies, and partners in the region on the security initiatives.

The US Secretary of Defense outlined that the US-Ukraine Strategic Defense Framework signed recently has “created a foundation for strengthening our strategic defense partnership.”

"I look forward to discussing how we can implement that framework to continue to advance our shared priority to counter Russian aggression and to deepen our cooperation in such areas as Black Sea security, cyber defense, and intelligence sharing,” Austin added.

For his part, the Ukrainian Defense Minister accused Russia of "getting ready for the next phase of the attack," thus promising to "defend Ukraine and the future of its children."

My 1st visit to Washington DC as the Minister of Defense.I’m grateful to the US side & my colleague @SecDef for this meeting.We appreciate the assistance of the US people in countering Russian aggression.Our main goal is to further strengthen partnership between 🇺🇸&🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/YM7EuBfOXr

— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) November 18, 2021

He pointed out that any potential escalation will certainly have serious consequences on the whole of Europe, stressing that his country "values the strategic relations with the United States and the help of the American people in the face of Russian aggression."

On Thursday, the Russian President accused the West of "escalating" the conflict with Kiev by conducting maneuvers in the Black Sea and sending bombers to fly near the Russian border, stressing that Kiev continues its harmful policy aimed at undermining the Minsk agreements.