Pentagon chief arrives in Kyiv for visit
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in the city of Kyiv on an unannounced visit on Monday, 21 October.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink met Austin in 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," Austin said.
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
Advertisement:– Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 21, 2024
As reported by The Wall Street Journal and CNN, Austin arrived in Kyiv because the future of US aid to Ukraine "hangs in the balance of the imminent US presidential election and as Russia continues to make small but steady gains on the battlefield".
Journalists reported that Austin plans to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Rustem Umierov in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine's weapons needs and how the US can continue to support Ukraine’s defence forces throughout the next year.
"The secretary’s visit will also serve as a moment for him to 'step back' and look at the 'arc' of the US-Ukraine relationship over the last two and a half years of war," an anonymous senior defence official remarked.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden arrived in Berlin for a brief visit to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
On 20 October, it became known that the United States is ready to provide Ukraine with up to US$20 billion as part of a G7 loan to be repaid from the proceeds generated by frozen Russian assets.