U.S. Defense Secretary: We Will Never Waver in Support of Ukraine

Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, emphasized America's commitment to continue supporting Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, June 3, on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Austin wrote on social media platform X: "Today I met with President Zelensky in Singapore. We discussed U.S. security assistance to meet Ukraine's capability needs, and I reiterated the U.S. commitment to maintaining strong support from a coalition of fifty countries to help Ukraine defend its freedom." He added, "U.S. support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression will never waver." Zelensky arrived in Singapore on Saturday to participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue. In a statement on social media X, he mentioned that he came to garner support from the Asia-Pacific region for a peace summit scheduled for June 15 in Switzerland. The statement referenced Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, stating, "Global security will be undermined when the largest country in the world disregards recognized borders, international laws, and the UN Charter, resorting to hunger, darkness, and nuclear blackmail." In a press conference in Singapore, when asked if NATO's eastward expansion led to the Ukraine crisis, Austin replied, "It is clear that the Ukraine crisis was caused by Mr. Putin's decision to illegally attack his neighbor, which at the time had a weak military. He thought he could quickly defeat his neighbor and annex it to Russia. That was two years ago. He has not achieved any of his strategic objectives to date." Zelensky stated on Wednesday that Russia is trying to disrupt the Swiss peace summit and hopes to gain support for the withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 borders at this meeting. The 1991 borders refer to Ukraine's territorial integrity, which declared independence from the former Soviet Union on August 23, 1991. Zelensky's trip to Singapore came shortly after the U.S. decided to lift some restrictions on Ukraine's use of U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, which Zelensky welcomed as a "step forward." Recently, with the approval of President Joe Biden, Ukraine was allowed to use American weapons to target Russian territory. The U.S. authorization is limited to bases in Russia that have recently targeted the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed this news on Friday, June 2, at a press conference after meeting with NATO foreign ministers. Zelensky is in Singapore, seeking support from countries for the "Ukraine Peace Summit" in Switzerland. Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy sector continue; Zelensky has called for air defense systems from the West. Russian airstrikes have damaged energy facilities across Ukraine. The U.S. has allowed Ukraine to use its weapons to attack targets in Russian territory. Ukraine has signed long-term security agreements with Sweden and Norway.