US defense secretary visits Kyiv to discuss future of American assistance amidst upcoming presidential elections
Photo: AP /Maya Alleruzzo
On Monday morning, October 21, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv. He plans to discuss the prospects for further assistance to Ukraine, given that the future of American support largely depends on the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections in the United States.
CNN reports this.
The secretary happened to visit at the same time as ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine, despite Western sanctions and international military aid.
During the visit, Austin will meet with:
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky,
- Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
The main topic of the negotiations will be the discussion of Ukraine's current need for weapons and support for armed forces in the coming year.
Austin emphasized the importance of international coalitions created to support Ukraine, noting that thanks to these efforts, Ukraine could resist Russian aggression.
However, the outcome of the US presidential election could jeopardize further support, especially if Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed doubts about continuing aid to Ukraine, wins.
Austin's visit took place amid the aggravation of the situation at the front, where Ukrainian forces continue to face serious challenges.
Austin confirmed on Twitter that he had come to Kyiv.
I'm back in Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense, demonstrating that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/0gCwAqqEpK
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 21, 2024
The day before, Austin expressed confidence that the US and its allies will continue to support Ukraine next year, no matter who is in power in the US.
"I really think allies and partners will continue to deal with the situation. And we've invested in things that will be implemented soon regarding additional systems like NASAMS [air defense systems – ed.]. We made those investments a year and a half, two years ago, and soon we will start to see how some of them will appear here [in Ukraine – ed.]," he said on Sunday evening on the way to Kyiv.
For reference:
Last week in Brussels, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin responded to a question about the future of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group following the US presidential election. He stated that the coalition of allied capabilities, which provides Ukraine with the necessary weapons to combat Russian aggression, has been incredibly successful and will continue in the long term.
On October 16, US President Joe Biden confirmed the US's continued support of Ukraine, announcing a new package of military aid totaling 425 million dollars. This package includes modern weapons systems that will help Ukrainian forces defend their independence.
During an interview on the telethon "Yedyni Novyny," Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that the United States has pledged to provide Ukraine with several military aid packages totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This is expected to help increase the strength of the Ukrainian army, particularly from October to December. While Zelensky did not reveal specific details, he speculated that the packages would be substantial, ranging from 500 million to 750 million dollars.
