The United States "will get Ukraine what it needs" to continue to fight its 32-month war with Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a visit to Kyiv on Monday.
But he gave no indication the U.S. would consent to Ukraine’s wish to immediately join NATO or to allow Kyiv’s forces to launch missile strikes deeper into Russia.
Austin said the U.S. would hand Ukraine what it requires "to fight for its survival and security," saying it was essential for Western allies to fend off Russia’s aggression.
“Europe’s future is on the line,” Austin said in a speech at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. “NATO’s strength is on the line. America’s security is on the line.”
He noted that the U.S. has delivered more than $58 billion in security assistance for Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, and that a dozen Western allies have contributed another $51 billion in armaments.
But he did not mention Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “victory plan” calling for Ukraine membership in NATO or letting it use Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory.
The U.S. is fearful that targeting sites deeper in Russia would risk the threat of a direct U.S.-Russia conflict.
Austin said "there is no silver bullet. No single capability will turn the tide. No one system will end [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's assault."
But he added: "Make no mistake. The United States does not seek war with Russia."
"What matters is the way that Ukraine fights back," Austin told the diplomatic and military personnel at the academy. "What matters is the combined effects of your military capabilities. And what matters is staying focused on what works."
New aid, 'no new weaponry'
As Austin visited Ukraine, the U.S. announced its 68th tranche of military aid since the start of the war with Russia, about $400 million in new armaments, including munitions for rocket systems and artillery; mortar systems and rounds; armored vehicles; and anti-tank weapons.
Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told VOA that the new U.S. assistance does not provide most of what Ukraine asked for.
“In other words, there was no new weaponry provided. Ukraine still does not have the capability to use its weaponry to strike inside Russia, and there was no discussion of a potential NATO membership for Ukraine,” she said.
As fighting continues, a Russian missile attack on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured 15 in the city center and caused huge damage to civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten and more than 30 residential buildings, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Russian drone attacks injured at least one person in Kyiv, officials said Monday.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram falling debris from drones shot down by Ukrainian air defenses damaged several residential buildings.
Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on Telegram that as many as 12 Russian drones were involved in the attack, but that all of them were destroyed.
Russian drones also targeted Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine. Governor Vitalii Kim said Monday on Telegram that air defenses downed three drones overnight.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported Monday it destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones launched in overnight attacks.
Eleven of the drones were shot down over the Rostov region, while another four were destroyed over Bryansk, two over Kursk and one over Oryol.
Officials in Kursk reported there were no casualties, and no damage reported from the attacks.
North Korean involvement
Separately at the U.N. Security Council, Western officials expressed concern that North Korea may be planning to send thousands of troops to Ukraine to fight for Russia.
Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday that there is satellite and video evidence that North Korea not only is sending equipment to Russia but also is preparing soldiers for deployment.
Russia’s envoy only alluded to the accusations during a council meeting Monday on Ukraine.
“They [the West] have become distracted by circulating scaremongering with Iranian, Chinese and [North] Korean bogeymen, each one of which is more absurd than the one before,” Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.
South Korea’s envoy said according to his government’s National Intelligence Service, Pyongyang has shipped Russia over 13,000 containers filled with artillery shells, missiles and anti-tank rockets since August 2023, and now they are sending troops.
“Pyongyang, according to our NIS [National Intelligence Service], has deployed about 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s Far Eastern cities, aboard Russian naval vessels, since earlier this month,” Ambassador Hwang Joonkook said. “The transported soldiers were provided with Russian military uniforms and Russian weapons. And to disguise their identity, they were issued with fake identity cards of residents from Yakutia and Buryatia who share similar facial features with North Koreans.”
Hwang said North Korea will expect a “generous payoff” from Moscow in return for its troops.
“It could be either military or financial assistance; it could be nuclear weapons-related technology,” he said.
The U.S. envoy said Washington is aware of the reports, and if true, they are a “dangerous and highly concerning development.”
“If Russia is indeed turning to the DPRK for manpower, it would be a sign of desperation on the part of the Kremlin,” U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Robert Wood said. “We know Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield due to the bravery and effectiveness of the Ukrainian military. Russia cannot sustain its aggression without assistance.”
Ukraine’s ambassador accused North Korea of fueling and prolonging the war and said Russia is “begging global outcasts” for weapons and troops. Sergiy Kyslytsya said according to publicly available information, about 11,000 North Korean infantry troops are being trained in the east of Russia and are expected to be ready for deployment by November 1.
VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin and VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
