KYIV, Nov 20 (Portal) – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $100 million in new military aid to Ukraine during an unannounced visit to Kiev on Monday, pledging long-term American support amid growing concerns about the sustainability of vital U.S. supplies -Help.
Austin announced the aid package after a day of meetings with Ukrainian officials, saying it included weapons such as anti-tank weapons and air defense interceptors.
Austin, accompanied by the top US general in Europe, was photographed smiling and shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was Austin’s first visit to Kyiv since April 2022.
“The message I bring to you today, Mr. President, is that the United States of America is with you. We’re going to be with you for the long haul,” Austin told Zelenskiy after an overnight train ride from Poland to Ukraine.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said the visit showed Washington’s “unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom.”
Zelensky told Austin that his visit was “a very important signal” for Ukraine.
“We count on your support,” Zelenskiy told Austin.
The United States has provided more than $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia began its invasion in February 2022.
The trip comes amid increasing disagreement over aid to Ukraine in the US Congress as a US presidential election looms in November 2024. Some American lawmakers are prioritizing aid to Israel, although U.S. defense officials emphasize that Washington can support both allies at the same time.
[1/3]U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with U.S. Embassy staff in Kyiv during his visit to Ukraine, Nov. 20, 2023. WG Dunlop/Pool acquires license rights through Portal
Privately, some senior Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that military aid deliveries could become less frequent, reflecting a general unease about the level of support needed to sustain the war against Russia. Ukraine’s budget for next year has a deficit of more than $40 billion that needs to be balanced.
STOP-GAP SPENDING BILL
President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve more money for Ukraine last month. The failure to consider a spending bridge bill passed by lawmakers last week raised concerns that the funding for Ukraine may never be provided, especially after the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill that did not include aid to Israel but intended for Ukraine.
A vocal bloc of Republicans opposes sending more aid to Ukraine. Opponents of the aid said U.S. taxpayers’ money should be spent domestically, but a majority of Republicans and Democrats in Congress still support aid to Zelensky’s government.
A joint Ukrainian-American military industry conference in Washington, scheduled for December 6 and 7, aims to boost Ukraine’s domestic weapons production as the war nears the two-year mark.
Earlier in the day, Austin spoke with Defense Department officials at the U.S. Embassy.
“If you think back to the beginning, no one thought that Ukraine could survive for more than a week. So here we are much later,” Austin said.
“Now everyone is wondering why Ukraine hasn’t overwhelmed Russia, which is a much bigger country with much more capabilities. But just think about that shift in mindset,” Austin added.
Russia now controls almost a fifth of Ukraine. The West sent military equipment and Ukraine launched a counteroffensive this year to retake occupied land, but it failed to make a major breakthrough.
Reporting by Max Hunder and Tom Balmforth in Kiev and Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham, Bernadette Baum and Alex Richardson
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