Ukraine's Defence Ministry
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine is the central executive body responsible for state policy in defence, military development, and the provision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the defence-industrial complex. It is led by a civilian Minister of Defence appointed by the Verkhovna Rada on the nomination of the Prime Minister; the ministry oversees the General Staff of the Armed Forces and subordinate military formations. Its headquarters is in Kyiv. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has been the principal Ukrainian counterpart in negotiations over military aid and arms deliveries from Western partners.
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Trump announces Russian diesel deal with Putin, urges Ukraine to choose a new president
On October 9, 2026, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced an agreement to allow between 300,000 and 3 million tons of Russian diesel fuel onto US and global markets. Trump then publicly attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of being able to end the war but choosing not to, and saying it was time for Ukraine to choose a new president. Zelenskyy called the decision weak and a gift to Russia that would fund the war, while bipartisan US lawmakers and European leaders condemned the agreement.
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Ukraine's defense minister asks EU for Patriot missiles and funding for drone interceptors
Ukraine's Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara addressed EU defense ministers on September 28 at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, asking member states to transfer part of their Patriot missile stockpiles to Ukraine and to help finance Ukrainian production of interceptors for jet-powered Shahed-type drones. He also requested air-to-air missiles, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), and F-16 ammunition, and called on partners to move EU loan funds planned for 2027 into 2026.
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Ukraine's defence minister meets US senators, hands over list of military needs focused on air defence
Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara met with US senators Tom Tillis, John Curtis and Alan Armstrong and presented a concrete list of Ukrainian needs to counter Russian aggression, with air defence as a priority. The talks covered the battlefield situation, Russian threats, Ukraine's air defence requirements and further support for the Defence Forces, including through the PURL and JUMPSTART weapons-supply mechanisms.