Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the heads of the U.S. defense companies, the president's office has said on Tuesday.

In particular, the meeting held at Ukraine House in Washington, DC, was attended by BAE Systems President Tom Arseneault, Day & Zimmermann Chair and CEO Harold Yoh, Boeing President Theodore Colbert, CEO of Sierra Nevada Corporation Fatih Ozmen, Northrop Grumman Vice President Stephen O'Bryan, RTX Vice President Jeff Shockey, Lockheed Martin Vice President Raymond Piselli, General Dynamics Vice President Mark Roualet, D&M Holding CEO Daniel Powers, AeroVironment Vice President Charles Dean.

The head of state thanked all the employees of American defense companies who produce weapons that save Ukrainians and help our army defend the country.

"I want to thank all of you, as well as your partners. I would also like to say something important to your employees: you have done a lot for Ukraine. Without people like you, we would not be able to withstand and defend our land," Zelenskyy said.

The president spoke about the idea of establishing a defense hub in Europe, which will be located in Ukraine, as our country has a lot of practical experience gained through the war.

The head of state emphasized that Ukraine is ready and will produce more ammunition and military equipment, but it needs support from such powerful companies. Specifically, this refers to joint production of artillery ammunition, air defense systems, artillery and missile systems.

He said that Ukraine also intends to invite American partners to take a stake in Ukrainian defense companies, which would be in the interests of all parties involved.

In addition, Zelenskyy noted the importance of a creative and innovative approach in the defense industry, as exemplified by the FrankenSAM projects, which allowed the integration of modern Western and old Soviet technological solutions to achieve quick results in protecting Ukrainian cities and the lives of our citizens.