Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton T. Semelroth provided the following readout:
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl met with his French counterpart, Alice Guitton, Director General for International Relations and Strategy at the Pentagon today to discuss Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Under Secretary Kahl thanked Director General Guitton for France’s support to bolster NATO’s Eastern Flank, including France’s leadership of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) and deployment of troops to Romania. Under Secretary Kahl and Director General Guitton praised the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian armed forces. The two emphasized the importance of de-escalation and dialogue with Russia, and shared perspectives on the war’s implications for Indo-Pacific security. They agreed to remain in close contact on shared security concerns in Europe and across the globe ahead of the NATO Summit in June.