"Strengthening air defense and missile defense (ABM) remains our number one priority," TASS quoted him as saying.

Reznikov stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine need ground-based air defense systems of all kinds - from man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems to large-caliber batteries.

"In particular, we will talk about this with our colleagues at the next meeting in the Ramstein format next week," the minister said.

Earlier, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Jake Sullivan said that Kyiv does not currently need the F-16, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine will need these fighters in the future.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, statements by American politicians about the possibility of supplying F-16 fighters to Ukraine are an imitation of legal behavior and an attempt to mislead.