Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin talked arms and strategy in a likely last visit before the US election on November 5. Meanwhile, NATO warns North Korea deploying troops to Ukraine marks an escalation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday welcomed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Kyiv, where the two discussed a number of issues related to Ukraine’s ongoing defensive war against Russian aggression.
In a post on the social media platform X, Zelenskyy noted that the two men and their teams discussed defense priorities, further arms production and deliveries, preparations for the coming winter and the expansion of long-range weapons use against Russia.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to “US President Joe Biden, both parties in the US Congress and the American people for all their support since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.”
Zelenskyy also said he thanked Austin for a recent $400 million (€370 million) US defense assistance package that includes arms and military equipment.
The US is the single biggest donor to Ukraine’s war effort, followed by Germany and the UK.
Austin’s visit to Ukraine comes ahead of the US presidential election on November 5.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to continue strong US support for Ukraine if she wins reelection, whereas Republican contender former President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off assistance to Ukraine.
