US, Ukrainian defense chiefs to meet Tuesday

WASHINGTON

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will visit the Pentagon on Tuesday to meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"This visit underscores the ongoing commitment of the United States to support Ukraine's sovereignty and security," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday.

Austin and Umerov will discuss bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues and ways to strengthen the defense partnership between the US and Ukraine, she added.

The visit comes ahead of a NATO summit that is scheduled to take place July 9-11 in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Ukraine said it expects to make progress on its membership in NATO at the summit.

The US has committed more than $51.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including more than $51.2 billion since the beginning of Russia's "unprovoked invasion" on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the Pentagon.