US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit. He will hold meetings with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Points of attention
- US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv to hold meetings with President Zelenskyi and Defense Minister Umerov.
- Austin will discuss Ukraine's arms needs and the possibility of continuing American aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
- President Biden announced a new aid package for Ukraine, which includes air defense equipment, armored vehicles and ammunition, which will strengthen the country's defense capabilities.
- Ukraine will receive additional weapons from the US, including air defense interceptors, combat vehicles and artillery systems.
What is known about Austin's visit to Kyiv
I am returning to Ukraine for the fourth time as Minister of Defense, demonstrating our unwavering support, together with the international community, on the side of Ukraine.
Lloyd Austin
US Secretary of Defense
I’m back in Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense, demonstrating that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/0gCwAqqEpK
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 21, 2024
During the visit, Austin plans to discuss with President Zelenskyi and Defense Minister Umerov the issue of Ukraine's armament needs, as well as the possibility of continuing American aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the coming year.
Austin also emphasized the importance of international coalitions created to support Ukraine, noting that thanks to these efforts, Ukraine was able to resist Russian aggression.
However, the outcome of the US presidential election could jeopardize further support, especially if Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed doubts about continuing aid to Ukraine, wins.
According to a high-ranking representative of the defense department, this visit will allow Austin to "take a step back" and assess the development of relations between the United States and Ukraine over the last two and a half years of war.
Biden announced a new aid package for Ukraine
As noted in the White House, the American leader announced a new package for the Armed Forces based on the results of negotiations with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The package includes:
air defense equipment,
air-to-ground ammunition,
armored vehicles,
"critical ammunition".
The White House also assured that Ukraine will receive additional weapons from the US in the coming months, including:
hundreds of air defense interceptors,
dozens of tactical air defense systems,
additional artillery systems,
a significant amount of ammunition,
hundreds of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles,
thousands of armored vehicles.
In his turn, Zelenskyy informed Biden about the Victory Plan for Ukraine. And the leaders instructed their teams to consult on the next steps.
At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian state wrote after the negotiations with Biden that he was grateful to him, both parties of Congress and the American people for the new package, which "included new air defense systems and long-range weapons."
