The surprise visit of US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to Kyiv, on 21 October, comes amid questions about the long-term sustainability for Western support of Ukraine’s war efforts.
Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense for the United States, visited Kyiv in October.
Lloyd Austin is making his fourth visit to Kyiv in his role as Secretary of Defense. “This shows that the United States and the international community continue to stand by Ukraine,” he said on X. The visit comes at an important time, as questions are looming over the future of US support of Ukraine in the run-up to the US presidential election.
Austin will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Ministry Rustem Umerov in order to discuss Ukraine’s weapon needs and the ongoing US military assistance.
The US and UK are among the Western nations that restrict the use of long-range weapons to conduct deep strikes in Russia. Ukraine requested long-range missiles to counter Russia’s significant advantage in personnel and munitions as well as to disrupt Russian supply lines and infrastructure beyond the immediate conflict zone.
Austin’s visit comes at a crucial time, as Ukraine is facing a difficult situation against Russian forces, despite Western sanctions, and US military assistance. Russia continues to make small, but steady gains in the field of battle, especially in the direction of Pokrovsk. The official stated that Russia is outfiring Ukraine 3 to 1 on the battlefield, and is receiving support Iran, North Korea, China.
The future of US assistance remains uncertain. A possible victory by former US President Donald Trump in the next US election could have a significant impact on the current approach to helping Ukraine.
Trump, Republican candidate in the upcoming presidential election, has refused to say whether he wants Ukraine’s war to win and has called Zelensky a “salesman,” who “shouldn’t have allowed that war to start.”
Donald Trump and President Zelenskyy met in late September.
Trump said that after their meeting at the end of the first week, “I learned a great deal” and “We want to end this [war] and we want to make a fair agreement, and it will be fair.”
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