In a first: Top Ukrainian, US generals meet in Poland

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Jan 21:10

For the first time, the US Chief of Staff met with his Ukrainian counterpart in Poland.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi looks on before a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other officials in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (Gleb Garanich/Pool Photo via AP)

US joint chiefs of staff spokesperson, Dave Butler, reported that a meeting occurred between the Joint Staff chairman Mark Milley and commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi in Poland. The two generals discussed recent developments of war in Ukraine and exchanged assessments.

"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley met with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi today in Poland. This marks their first in-person meeting," US joint chiefs of staff spokesperson stated in a press release.

Milley reaffirmed the United States' "unwavering support for Ukraine," Butler said without adding any further details.

Poland has played a key role in the liaison between Ukraine and NATO ever since the onset of the war which started last year. Not only did they serve as a venue for meetings and coordination but Warsaw has also actively lobbied for arming Ukraine by NATO and western countries.

Poland is looking to create a coalition of Kiev's allies with the aim of organizing joint military hardware deliveries to Ukraine.

For instance, on January 16th, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had demanded during a visit to Berlin that Germany give up its opposition to a Warsaw-led initiative to send tanks to Ukraine.

But also actively misrepresenting events to manufacture a justification for a direct NATO military intervention. For example, amid reports about missiles that fell in the polish village of Przewodów near the border with Ukraine, Warsaw called for an emergency national security council meeting: Pushing the narrative that it was a Russian missile that hit its territories to invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter.

Poland hosted military drills as well. On November 25th, under the proclaimed goal to strengthen the security of their eastern flank, NATO forces carry out exercises in a highly-strategic location in northern Poland.

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