US defence secretary makes unannounced visit to Ukraine
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has made an unannounced visit to Kyiv in a bid to keep money and weapons flowing to Ukraine even as US and international resources are stretched by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Mr Austin, who travelled to Kyiv by train from Poland, is scheduled to meet senior Ukrainian officials and publicly press Ukraine’s urgent military needs as it enters another tough winter of fighting.
This is Mr Austin’s second trip to Kyiv, but this visit takes place under far different circumstances.
His first visit occurred in April 2022, just two months after Russia’s large-scale invasion began.
At the time, Ukraine was riding a wave of global rage at Moscow’s invasion, and Mr Austin launched an international effort that now sees 50 countries meeting monthly to coordinate on what weapons, training and other support could be pushed to Kyiv.
But the conflict in Gaza could pull attention and resources from the Ukraine fight. The US has worked since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, and the devastating bombardment on Gaza by Israel that has followed, killing more than 10,000 civilians, to prevent a wider regional war.
The US has already committed two carrier strike groups, scores of fighter jets and thousands of American personnel to the Middle East, and has had to shift its force posture and conduct air strikes against Iranian-backed militant groups who are now hitting US bases in Iraq and Syria on a regular basis.
To date, Ukraine has received more $44 billion (€40 billion) from the US and more than $35 billion (€32 billion) from other allies in weapons, ranging from millions of bullets to air defence systems, advanced European and US battle tanks and pledges for F-16 fighter jets.
