ISTANBUL

UK Defense Secretary John Healey arrived in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Wednesday.

“Glad to welcome UK Defence Secretary (John Healey) to Ukraine,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a statement on US social media company X.

Shmyhal said that he and the British defense secretary will hold a meeting, during which they will coordinate the key issues of the upcoming Ukraine Defense Contact Group to be held in London, as well as joint defense projects.

“We are preparing important bilateral decisions that will strengthen the defense capabilities of our countries,” Shmyhal added, without further elaboration.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format, brings together more than 50 countries to coordinate military aid to Ukraine. It was launched in 2022 by the US to coordinate international military assistance for Kyiv amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Last month, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne reported that the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place on Sept. 9, citing a spokesman for the German Federal Defense Ministry.