The Pentagon commander is in Ukraine to demonstrate his support for the upcoming US election

In a gesture of solidarity with Kyiv, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine on Monday, just two weeks prior to a U.S. presidential election that is leaving the future of Western support uncertain.

Austin’s fourth and likely final visit as the Pentagon chief under President Joe Biden will encompass intensive discussions regarding the United States’ endeavors to assist Kyiv in fortifying its defenses as Russian forces advance in eastern Ukraine.

It is anticipated that the agreement will not include any new agreements to some of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s most significant requests, such as the lifting of Washington’s restrictions on the use of U.S.-supplied weaponry to strike targets beyond Ukraine’s borders.

As the Biden administration concludes, Austin indicated that U.S. support would remain consistent.

“We will persist in our assistance to Ukraine in its defense of its sovereign territory,” Austin informed reporters who were accompanying him to Ukraine.

“We have observed the development of this conflict over years.” And each time it does evolve, we have risen to the occasion to ensure that Ukraine’s battlefield effectiveness is maintained.

The Ukrainian capital was the target of new Russian drone attacks for the second night in a succession, as Ukrainian officials reported as Austin disembarked from the train in Kyiv after an overnight journey from Poland. The drones caused damage to residential buildings and an injury to at least one civilian.

Austin’s visit is scheduled prior to the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, in which Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, is vying for re-election in a tight contest against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump has indicated that he would be more hesitant than Biden to continue to support Ukraine, which could result in Kyiv losing its largest military and financial backing.

Austin downplayed any anxiety regarding this matter.

“I’ve seen bipartisan support for Ukraine over the last 2-1/2 years, and I fully expect that we’ll continue to see the bipartisan support from Congress,” according to him.

One of Ukraine’s most fervent supporters, the retired four-star general has established a coalition of dozens of nations that has provided Kyiv with armaments that has enabled it to inflict significant damage on Russian forces.

Russia has suffered 600,000 casualties of killed and wounded forces in Ukraine thus far, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. September was the month with the highest number of fatalities and injuries.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be content with the prospect of increasingly investing more forces in a costly advance in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which Moscow claims as its own.

Russia has encircled cities in the Donetsk region in recent weeks and has subsequently constricted them until Ukrainian units are compelled to withdraw.
Austin stated, “It is a difficult battle and a difficult journey.”

‘Victory Plan

Kyiv has been endeavoring to maintain the focus of its war in the West, despite the fact that the international community is increasingly preoccupied with the escalating conflicts in the Middle East.

During his presentation of his “victory plan” at NATO headquarters in Brussels last Thursday, Zelenskiy last encountered Austin. Key allies did not endorse his demand for an immediate NATO membership invitation, despite the fact that he received pledges of continued support.

When asked about the victory plan on Friday in Brussels, Austin responded, “I am not in a position to publicly evaluate his plan.”

Experts suggest that Kyiv may need to begin making difficult decisions regarding the deployment of its increasingly stretched combat forces, such as whether it will maintain control of the territory it captured in Russia’s Kursk region during a surprise offensive this summer.

The U.S. government and Austin were caught off guard by the Kursk offensive. Kyiv sought to regain the battlefield initiative from Russia, including by redirecting Moscow’s forces from the eastern front.

Putin, however, has maintained his attention on the critical city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, which serves as a critical logistics center for Kyiv’s war effort.

Ukraine is bracing for a challenging battle, despite the billions of dollars in U.S. military assistance, which includes the provision of F-16 fighter aircraft and Abrams tanks.

Despite the economic, diplomatic, and military damage that Russia has suffered as a result of its invasion of Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official has stated that Russia is not prepared to abandon its military operations.

“Consequently, the Ukrainians are subjected to a significant burden,” the official stated, speaking on the condition of anonymity.