Monday, #DefSec #LloydAustin arrived in #Kyiv in a bid to offer some reassurance to #Ukraine’s leaders on behalf of the #Biden admin. #Austin met w/ #Zelensky & Defense Minister Rustem #Umerov, as well as Gen. Valery #Zaluzhny, the country’s top #military officer.
#Russia #war #Putin #geopolitics
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/20/ukraine-aid-washington-anxiety-austin/
“Our congressional members have valid questions & we will answer, but I would point out that #Ukraine matters, what happens here matters, not just to Ukraine but to the entire world,” #DefSec #LloydAustin told reporters after meeting Ukrainian ofcls.
The visit by Austin & Gen Christopher Cavoli, (commander of US #EUCOM & #NATO #SACEUR) was also intended to signal that American support will not be undermined by #Israel’s war w/ #Hamas….
“Without US assistance we can’t simply not stop the Russian invasion, we can’t survive,” said Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s commissioner for #HumanRights. “We paid for the will to be independent every day with our health and lives, but we don’t want to simply die w/o military [&] financial assistance. It’s not only my position — I can confirm that this is the position of 99% of our population.”
#DefSec #LloydAustin #Ukraine #Russia #war #Putin #geopolitics #Biden #Zelensky
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