The Pentagon chief is in Kyiv on an unannounced go to ‘to stand with Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Russia’.
The US secretary of defence has made an unannounced go to to Kyiv to reassure Ukraine that Washington will proceed supporting its combat towards invading Russian forces.
Lloyd Austin “travelled to Ukraine today to meet with Ukrainian leaders and reinforce the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine’s fight for freedom”, the Pentagon mentioned in a press release on Monday. The journey was not beforehand introduced attributable to safety considerations.
The US has supplied tens of billions of {dollars} in safety support for Ukraine and repeatedly pledged to again Kyiv for so long as it takes. Nonetheless, opposition from hardline Republican lawmakers has raised doubts about the way forward for US help.
“[Austin] will also underscore the continued US commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression,” the Pentagon assertion continued.
“I’m here today to deliver an important message – the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Russia’s aggression, both now and into the future,” Austin posted on X.
I simply arrived in Kyiv to fulfill with Ukrainian leaders.
I’m right here right now to ship an vital message – the US will proceed to face with Ukraine of their combat for freedom towards Russia’s aggression, each now and into the long run. pic.twitter.com/1D96aeeACl
— Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) November 20, 2023
Republican opposition
Austin’s journey to Ukraine is seen as a bid to calm fears that US assist may falter.
Some Republican lawmakers oppose continued support, and that opposition noticed Ukraine overlooked of a short lived deal that was handed by Congress final week to avert a US authorities shutdown.
US help has not been halted and there’s nonetheless beforehand authorised support to attract on, however Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh mentioned earlier this month that help packages “have been getting smaller because we have had to meter out our support for Ukraine”.
Along with home US political opposition to continued support, the battle between Israel and Hamas – and the spike in assaults on US forces within the Center East that has accompanied it – has drawn worldwide consideration away from Ukraine.
Boosting Ukraine’s home output
The US authorities insists that it may present support for each nations regardless of the Republican resistance.
Austin’s journey to Kyiv is his second since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Washington is by far the most important donor of navy help to Kyiv, and a reduce to help can be a significant blow to Ukraine because it readies for the second winter of the war amid intensified Russian assaults.
Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged lawmakers throughout a listening to in October to maintain assist for Ukraine, with the US defence chief saying that “without our support, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will be successful”.
The US has spearheaded the push for worldwide assist for Ukraine, rapidly forging a coalition to again Kyiv after Russia invaded and coordinating support from dozens of nations.
Ukraine’s supporters have additionally supplied coaching to Kyiv’s troops, whereas Washington and different nations imposed powerful sanctions on Russia, with targets together with monetary establishments, expertise imports and power exports.
A joint Ukraine-US navy business convention in Washington is because of happen subsequent month.
That occasion, due on December 6 and seven, is meant to spice up Ukraine’s home arms manufacturing as its combat towards a full-scale Russian invasion nears the two-year mark.
