During an unexpected visit to Kyiv on Monday, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed $100 million in additional military aid for the country, part of an attempt to convince Ukrainian officials that the US will continue to help their nation’s defence against Russia’s invasion.
Following a sleepless train journey from Poland, Austin met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, in Kyiv, who expressed gratitude to the U.S. defence secretary.
Zelenskyy declared, “Your arrival is a very important signal for Ukraine.” “We owe the American people a great deal. They have supported us during all of these challenging, trying times, and years.”
The United States’ armament stocks, which include artillery, air defence interceptors, and more High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, are the source of the further military help to Ukraine.
Austin promised ongoing U.S. assistance for Ukraine at their meeting on Monday, praising the “grit, ingenuity,” and “courage” of the Ukrainian people.
“The United States of America is with you, Mr. President, that is the message I deliver to you today. We’re going to stick by you through thick and thin,” he informed Zelenskyy. “What happens here in Ukraine not only matters to Ukraine, but it matters to the rest of the world, Austin told reporters after the meeting that he thought Ukraine was “prepared for combat in the winter.”
“You have heard President Zelenskyy repeatedly state that he plans to maintain the pressure on Russia. Consequently, we anticipate that this will undoubtedly occur “Answered a query from VOA by Austin.
According to senior U.S. defence sources, Austin travelled to Kyiv to strategize for future security assistance as well as to discuss the urgent winter fight.
Fearing for their safety, a senior defence official talked to reporters on condition of anonymity. “We are continuing to provide a regular battle rhythm of security assistance, and we are planning to be able to do that throughout the winter,” the person stated.
Austin is hosting its first visit since April 2022. As winter approaches, officials in Ukraine and the West are certain that Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to target vital infrastructure, just as he did the previous winter, depriving many Ukrainians of power on some of the coldest days of the year. Speaking under the same secrecy restrictions as Austin, a second senior defence official informed reporters that air defence will be one of the most crucial capabilities this winter.
“We’ve been able to surge air defence equipment, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still needs and that there won’t still be needs in the coming months ahead.”
Over the weekend, Ukrainian air defences were pounded by approximately forty drones manufactured in Iran that were fired from Russian territory. Of the 38 drones, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed 29 of them; nevertheless, the drones that managed to get past the country’s defences damaged many infrastructure sites and knocked out the electricity in almost 400 towns and villages.
The drones launched their attack from the southern areas of Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.
Cose to the Belarusian border. In their second strike of the month, they also targeted Kyiv, but according to Ukrainian officials, every drone that was flying towards the city was shot down.
In order to help Ukraine, the Pentagon will continue to deplete its present arsenals of weapons and ammunition, but authorities say that in the upcoming months, the US will also transfer to Ukraine some capabilities that were acquired through contracts last year. Officials claim that increasing ammunition supplies are partly a result of Western industrial capacity upgrades.
Other nations claim to be gaining capabilities as well; Germany declared earlier this month that it would supply additional vital air defence systems by the year’s end.
Officials aim to prevent Russian soldiers from having a chance to reinforce their positions this winter in addition to providing air defence. A break in the combat last winter allowed Russian fighters to retake area they controlled, leading some experts to label the conflict as a “stalemate.”
“It’s not a deadlock, in my opinion. Nope. This is a dynamic conflict, according to a senior defence official. “Ukraine is still pushing back against Russian soldiers and winning on the battlefield. You’ve witnessed them keep attacking farther behind Russian defences. They are making progress in undermining Russian capabilities and interfering with Russian operations.”
The official cited Ukraine’s recent offensive in the Kherson region as evidence of its capacity “to create a disadvantage for Russian soldiers in a place where, to be honest, their defences are weaker.”
Last week, Ukrainian forces established multiple bridgeheads and drove Russian soldiers from positions on the Dnipro River’s eastern bank. By transporting heavy gear and supplies across the river, Ukrainian soldiers may be able to launch a fresh offensive along the most direct land path to Crimea, which Russia unlawfully invaded in 2014.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, told VOA last month that Kyiv’s forces have reclaimed more than 50% of its invaded territory, despite the fact that Moscow’s forces still hold roughly 18% of the country’s land.
Following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine on November 20, 2023, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov exchanged handshakes.
Austin’s unexpected trip to Kyiv coincides with a risk of waning Western backing, particularly as events in Israel and Gaza over the past month have drawn focus away from the protracted battle in Europe.
This week, Austin will serve as the virtual host city for the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting held at the Pentagon. More than 50 countries are anticipated to take part in the negotiations, according to the Pentagon, which assist Ukraine’s allies in coordinating military aid delivered to Kyiv.
Although Austin told reporters on Monday, “I continue to support Ukraine’s military needs,” there has been an increasing reluctance in the US Congress to provide more help to observe partisan backing in both Houses of the Congress.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged legislators to back Biden’s most recent financial request for military assistance to Ukraine in a statement released on Monday.
“Helping Ukraine defend itself … helps prevent larger conflict in the region and deters future aggression, which makes us all safer,” Blinken stated.
“We continue to believe that Congress will provide that support, and we are planning based on that conviction,” stated a senior defence official, adding that the administration would have to reevaluate some of the longer-term military procurements slated for Kyiv should support for Ukraine aid shift.
Because “Ukraine matters,” according to another senior defence source, the Pentagon has continued to be just as active in procuring supplies for the country as it was before to the crisis erupting in the Middle East.
“People keep approaching me and saying, ‘Oh, I imagine you’re not as busy as before,’ you know. This trip is evidence that it could not be further from the truth,” the top defence official said.