Pentagon chief Austin back in Kyiv to show solidarity, pledge continued defense assistance
supplementedUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, he said on X (Twitter).
The head of the Pentagon announced that he flew to the Ukrainian capital to meet with the country's leadership.
"I’m here today to deliver an important message – the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Russia’s aggression, both now and into the future," Austin wrote in the post.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week that the United States is looking for ways to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure from attacks by Russia that it may try to carry out this winter.
This is the second visit of the head of the Pentagon to Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The last time Austin was in Ukraine was on April 24, 2022 when he came with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. American officials met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several ministers.
On October 11, after the 16th Ramstein, the US defense chief said that his country will take on the role of the leader of the coalition that will help Ukraine develop its Air Force, and Ukrainian pilots will be able to use F-16 fighters no earlier than the spring of 2024.
On the same day, Austin explained to the allies that Ukraine is important because Russian aggression is a threat to the security of Europe and NATO countries.