Ukrainian and Italian Ministers of Defense discuss issue of equipping Ukrainian army
Defense Minister of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian and Italian Defense Ministers Rustem Umerov and Guido Crosetto discussed several issues related to military aid from Rome to Kyiv in the coming year during a phone conversation. One of the topics was Italy's preparation of Ukrainian brigades, according to Umerov's Facebook page.
According to the Ukrainian minister, military aid to Ukraine in 2025 was a key topic of the conversation.
"We discussed prospects for equipping Ukrainian brigades with weapons and equipment," Umerov said.
The head of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense added that special attention was also given to the issue of air defense for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"I expressed gratitude to Italy for the already provided air defense systems that protect our skies. We look forward to further support in strengthening our air defense capabilities," Umerov shared.
Additionally, the Ukrainian minister conveyed that during his conversation with Crosetto, he emphasized the importance of joint industrial projects with the largest Italian defense companies.
In Umerov's opinion, there is significant potential in the cooperation between Ukraine and Italy.
"I am grateful to Minister Crosetto for his steadfast support and ongoing efforts on a new assistance package, which I trust will soon enhance the capabilities of our defenders," he added.
Training of Ukrainian brigades by Western countries
It was previously reported that in November, as part of defense assistance to Ukraine, France had already trained one Ukrainian brigade, known as the Anne of Kyiv brigade.
Yesterday, during a meeting in Brussels, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he had agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron to continue this cooperation and train another Ukrainian brigade.
The Ukrainian leader expressed hope that other partner countries would join these efforts and contribute to the equipment of additional Ukrainian brigades.
On November 25, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, called on partners to equip Ukrainian brigades, following the example of France.
About a week ago, Umerov and the EU Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, discussed the preparation of strategic reserve brigades for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
It is also important to note that at the end of November, President Zelenskyy, in an interview with Sky News, stated that Ukraine still does not have adequate equipment for its brigades, despite previous promises from Western partners over a year ago. He mentioned that Europe and the US have fully equipped only 2.5 brigades, and 10 other brigades are still unprepared.
On December 19, Zelenskyy also reminded that Ukraine had discussed with partners the training of at least 12 Ukrainian brigades on their territory. Currently, there is one brigade trained in France, and another one is being trained in Germany.
