By Phil Stewart
KYIV (Reuters) – U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine on Monday, in a present of Washington’s help for Kyiv simply two weeks forward of a U.S. presidential election that’s casting uncertainty over the way forward for Western help.
Austin’s journey, his fourth and sure last go to as President Joe Biden’s Pentagon chief, will embrace in-depth discussions about U.S. efforts to assist Kyiv shore up its defences as Moscow’s forces advance within the east.
However it isn’t anticipated to incorporate a brand new U.S. settlement to a few of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s largest requests, like lifting U.S. restrictions on utilizing U.S.-supplied weapons to hit targets far past Ukraine’s borders.
As Biden’s administration winds down, Austin signalled continuity in U.S. help.
“We’re going to continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its sovereign territory,” Austin informed reporters travelling 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.”
His go to comes forward of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential vote, during which former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, is looking for re-election in a detailed race in opposition to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Trump has signalled he could be extra reluctant than Biden to proceed to help Ukraine, which may deprive Kyiv of its largest navy and monetary backer.
Austin performed down considerations, saying he noticed help for Ukraine from each Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
“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,” he stated.
The retired 4 star basic has been one in every of Ukraine’s staunchest advocates, constructing a coalition of dozens of countries who’ve provided Kyiv with weaponry that has helped it deal heavy blows to Moscow’s forces.
One U.S. defences official, talking on situation of anonymity, stated Russia had suffered 600,000 casualties of killed and wounded troops in Ukraine thus far, with September being its heaviest month of fatalities and accidents.
However Russian President Vladimir Putin appears content material to speculate an increasing number of forces in a pricey advance in japanese Ukraine’s Donbas area, which he says he needs to realize full management over.
In latest weeks, Russia has surrounded cities within the Donetsk area after which slowly constricted them till Ukrainian items are compelled to withdraw.
“It’s a very tough fight and it’s a tough slog,” Austin stated.
‘VICTORY PLAN’
In the meantime, Kyiv has been looking for to maintain its battle in focus within the West, even because the increasing conflicts within the Center East seize the worldwide highlight.
Zelenskiy final met Austin in Brussels on Thursday on the NATO headquarters, the place he pitched his “victory plan.”
The Ukrainian chief obtained pledges of continued help however no endorsement from key allies of his name for a direct NATO-membership invitation.
Requested about Zelenskiy’s victory plan at NATO headquarters on Friday, Austin responded: “It’s not my position to evaluate publicly his plan.”
Kyiv might have to start out making robust selections about the right way to make use of its stretched combating forces, together with whether or not it’s going to maintain onto territory Kyiv seized in Russia’s Kursk area in a shock offensive this summer time, consultants say.
The Kursk offensive caught Austin and the U.S. authorities off-guard. Kyiv hoped it could wrest the battlefield initiative from Russia together with by diverting Moscow’s forces from the japanese entrance.
However Putin has remained targeted on seizing the important thing metropolis of Pokrovsk in japanese Ukraine, which is a vital logistics hub for Kyiv’s battle effort.
Even with billions of {dollars} value of U.S. navy help, together with the availability of F-16 fighter jets, Abrams tanks and extra, Ukraine faces a tricky struggle forward.
Though its invasion of Ukraine has inflicted blows to Russia’s financial system, made it extra remoted diplomatically and battered its navy, Russia “is not ready to call it quits,” a senior U.S. defence official stated.
“And so that does place a steep burden on the Ukrainians,” the official stated, talking on situation of anonymity.
