ISTANBUL
In a phone call, US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to the US Defense Department.
Austin and Umerov addressed “battlefield dynamics” and “an update on U.S. security assistance support for Ukraine” in the Tuesday phone call, the department said.
The talks included the entry of North Korean soldiers into combat against Ukraine, which US officials say represents a "significant" escalation in the ongoing war.
Austin reiterated the Biden administration’s commitment to accelerating security aid for Ukraine.
He also provided an update on “the unprecedented scope and pace of US efforts” to supply Kyiv with the capabilities needed to fight Moscow.
The clock is ticking down for the Biden administration, with President-elect Donald Trump due to take office on Jan. 6, with a new defense secretary to succeed Austin.
Trump, seen as broadly pro-Russian, has suggested he may cut off aid to Ukraine in favor of resolving the war quickly.
