U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit Monday, October 21, 2024.
The Pentagon said in a statement that Austin will meet with Ukrainian leadership and underscore the U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression on the battlefield.
It added that Austin will give an address on Kyiv’s successes, American commitment to supplying its troops and “why Ukraine’s fight matters for U.S. security.”
A senior defense official told a news agency that Austin’s visit is intended as an opportunity to consider the overall status of the war, plus to underscore the U.S. role in defeating Moscow’s strategic objectives and inflicting “astronomical casualties” on Russian forces.
Austin posted on the X social media platform that visit shows “that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine.”
His visit came hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital and as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes Western partners to keep providing military support for the war.
Ukraine is having difficulty holding back a ferocious Russian campaign along the eastern front that is gradually compelling Kyiv’s forces to give up a series of towns, villages and hamlets.
Meanwhile, Russian drone and missile attacks continue across the country. The strikes have been particularly punishing for the country’s battered energy grid in the lead up to winter.
Manpower also remains a constant strain, and conversations continue in Ukraine about lowering the minimum conscription age from 25 to 18 to bolster available troop numbers.
Zelenskyy has urged Western allies to support his so-called “victory plan” to end the almost three-year war, which is Europe’s biggest since World War II and has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides, including many civilians.
Austin Announces $400 Million In Military Aid To Ukraine
During a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin announced that the United States has allocated a new defense aid package to Ukraine totaling $400 million.
This package will include ammunition, military equipment, and weaponry.
Lloyd assured that support under the security agreement between the United States and Ukraine will continue.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the military assistance package and for all the support the U.S. has provided since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“I thank the American people and President Biden. I am also grateful for the bipartisan support: we greatly appreciate everything that has been done since the start of this war. Thank you for the recent meeting in Brussels within the framework of the Ukraine – NATO Council.
“It was an opportunity to establish direct dialogue with the defense ministers of allied countries, and after that, there was a strong meeting at the G7 defense ministers’ level.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He noted that during a recent phone conversation with President Joe Biden, they discussed the Victory Plan, preparations for the winter period, Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and options for bolstering them.
Among the key issues discussed during the meeting between Austin and Zelenskyy were the authorization to use long-range weapons against Russian military targets, increasing the production of strike drones and cruise missiles, as well as artillery shells and air defense systems.
Plans for convening a new Ramstein meeting at the heads-of-state level were also discussed.
Special attention was paid to the importance of continuing clear coordination with international partners to provide security assistance to Ukraine.
READ ALSO: Mozambique Opposition Leader Targeted with Tear Gas During Election Protests
