On Tuesday, the Pentagon’s top general met with his Ukrainian counterpart. He traveled by vehicle from a base in Poland to an undisclosed location close to the border. This was a symbolic gesture of support for Washington’s military assistance to Ukraine.

According to Col. David Butler (a U.S. military spokesperson), Gen. Mark A. Milley was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and spent some time with Gen. Valery Zalazhny, the top Ukrainian officer. After it became apparent that Zaluzhny wouldn’t be able to attend Wednesday’s meeting of NATO military officers in Brussels, the meeting was organized. Milley was joined by five Americans, an interpreter, and security personnel. Officials cited safety precautions as the reason for withholding information about the high-level exchange.

Butler stated that they had discussed in detail the defense plans Ukraine has for Russia’s aggression. It’s important that two military professionals look each other in the eyes and discuss very, very important topics.

After a year of distant meetings, a face-to-face meeting finally took place. This was ahead of an anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces.

U.S. soldiers have been training Ukrainian troops in Germany, while U.S. Army personnel are in Oklahoma teaching their counterparts in Ukraine how to use sophisticated air defense systems.

The Kremlin has slammed Western efforts to assist Ukraine. It accuses Washington and NATO of engaging in a proxy war against Moscow. This raises concerns that Russia may become more tolerant of intervention and threaten the United States and other NATO countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin has named Gen. Valery Gerasimovas, Milley’s Russian counterpart in Ukraine, his top commander. This is an observation that suggests Moscow doesn’t want to end the war, which has already reached its one-year mark, with over 100,000 people killed or injured on both sides.

Butler stated that Milley arrived in southeastern Poland at 11 a.m. local and began his meeting with Zaluzhny around two hours later. Two journalists and two Americans who were traveling with Milley, including two journalists remained at the base — a station that funnels aid to Ukraine — while Milley moved closer to the border. The visit was not permitted for photography. Officials from the U.S. requested that journalists keep exact locations.

This meeting took place a day after a contingent from the Pentagon and State Department met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-ranking Ukrainian officials in Kyiv. In a demonstration of support by the Biden administration, Lloyd Austin, Defense Secretary, and Antony Blinken, Secretary of State visited Ukraine’s capital. Milley has not been to Ukraine because the United States seems to have a policy where only a small number of American military personnel, who are assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, spend time there.

Butler stated that Milley was not at risk from the visit and that he didn’t go to any place deemed dangerous. Zaluzhny wanted to hear the general’s impressions of the Ukrainian unit just starting training under the supervision of U.S. soldiers in Germany. He also wanted to discuss Ukrainian needs before a regular meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group later this week, an international group of partners who have supported the country militarily during the war.

“Gen. Milley’s role as a military man is to understand the operational and tactical conditions on the battlefield and to determine the military requirements.” “Milley does this by not only understanding the battlefield but also by speaking to Gen. Zaluzhny regularly.”

Milley visited the base in southeastern Poland for the third time since the start of the war. The U.S. troops present spoke on condition of anonymity because of military ground rules. They said their mission has increased in recent months due to the increase in weaponry that has been approved for transfer.

Since the start of the war, military personnel has been working to increase security at the base. They have added concrete bunkers and thick, sand-filled outdoor walls, commonly known as HESCO barriers, to join two Patriot air defense system batteries that were deployed in southeastern Poland in spring.

According to a U.S. soldier, some soldiers have been assigned to Patriot units since March. They don’t know when another unit will arrive to replace them. This is not unusual for Patriot units. However, the lack of predictability has caused strain on the unit.

The unit is always in operation, and its alert status changes based on the events of each day.

The soldier stated, “We must respond appropriately to the situation.”