U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine on Monday, in a show of Washington’s support for Kyiv just two weeks ahead of a US presidential election that is casting uncertainty over the future of Western support.
Austin’s trip, his fourth and likely final visit as President Joe Biden’s Pentagon chief, will include in-depth discussions about US efforts to help Kyiv shore up its defenses as Moscow’s forces advance in the east.
But it is not expected to include a new US agreement to some of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s biggest requests, like lifting US restrictions on using US-supplied weapons to hit targets far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
As Biden’s administration winds down, Austin signalled continuity in U.S. support.
“We’re going to continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its sovereign territory,” Austin told reporters traveling with him to Ukraine.
“We’ve watched this fight evolve over time. And each time that it does evolve, we have risen to the occasion to meet (Ukraine’s) needs to make sure that they were effective on the battlefield.”
Austin’s visit comes ahead of the Nov. 5 US presidential vote, in which former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, is seeking re-election in a close race against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
