Pentagon chief arrives in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on October 21 to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Pentagon chief also plans to meet with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The head of the US defense department will discuss with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities how the United States can continue to support the country's armed forces over the next year. This was reported by CNN.

American media outlets note that on the eve of the presidential election, the future of U.S. assistance to Ukraine hangs in the balance. At the same time, Russia continues to make small but steady gains on the battlefield.

Therefore, Austin plans to meet with Ukraine's president and defense minister to discuss the country's arms needs. A senior defense ministry official said that the Pentagon chief's visit would also be an opportunity for him to "take a step back" and look at the arc of US-Ukraine relations over the past two and a half years of war.

On his page on social networking site X, the Pentagon chief said that he was visiting Ukraine for the fourth time as US Secretary of Defense. Austin emphasized that his visit demonstrates that the United States, along with the international community, continues to support Ukraine.

The US Defense Department noted that at the end of his visit, Austin will deliver a speech in which he will talk about how Ukraine is fighting the Russians, the US commitment to providing the Ukrainian armed forces with the necessary combat capabilities, and why Ukraine's fight is important to US security.

As a reminder, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he could not confirm the information about the possible deployment of North Korean troops in Russia to go to war in Ukraine. At the same time, he added that such a move would cause "concern" if it turns out to be true.

Earlier it became known that the United States decided to provide Ukraine with significant defense assistance totaling $7.9 billion. Additional sanctions will also be imposed against the aggressor country of Russia.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!