In the middle of August, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), met with military leadership from the US and the UK to deliberate on Kiev's military strategies for 2024.
According to The Guardian the meeting took place in a confidential location along the Polish-Ukrainian border, approximately 500 km away from Kiev. The session extended for nearly five hours.
During the interaction, various topics were covered, including the future course of the UAF's counteroffensive operation, plans for the upcoming winter season, and the foreseen continuation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the year 2024.
The Guardian emphasized that the meeting saw the participation of Christopher Cavoli, the head of the US European Command, representing the US, while Admiral Tony Radakin, the highest-ranking officer in the British armed forces, represented the UK. It was Admiral Radakin who shared a photo from the meeting.
The newspaper's sources revealed that Mark Milley, the head of the Pentagon, was expected to be present at the meeting. However, he chose not to participate due to concerns within the White House that such a meeting could imply US involvement in the conflict. The New York Times (NYT) also corroborates this information. According to the NYT, Milley has been avoiding visits to Ukraine recently to prevent exacerbating the already strained relations between Moscow and Washington.
The Guardian's report highlighted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces and representatives from NATO decided to conduct the meeting "in person," as certain discussions are more effectively carried out face-to-face, despite the availability of secure communication channels.
The newspaper also pointed out the increasing significance of Admiral Tony Radakin in negotiations with Ukraine. While the US strives to maintain a low profile in the Moscow-Kiev conflict, the UK appears to have no such reservations.
Admiral Radakin assumed the position of Chief of the Defence Staff in November 2021, just three months before the commencement of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Despite political changes in the country's leadership, he managed to retain his role, which has elevated him to a prominent figure in British politics, according to The Guardian.
Before meeting with Zaluzhnyy and Cavoli, Radakin reportedly visited Kyiv and engaged in a 45-minute conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The main objective of Admiral Radakin was to gain insights into Ukraine's plans and ascertain the kind of support that the Ukrainian Armed Forces anticipate from their Western allies, as informed by sources cited in the publication.
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