Austin reiterates US support for Ukraine in a video call

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told defense secretaries meeting in Brussels via video that the United States would maintain its support for Ukraine, but he made no mention of a multibillion-dollar aid package yet to be passed by Congress approved.

Mr. Austin made his comments in a five-minute speech delivered by video link to a meeting of about 50 countries of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which organizes military aid to the country.

“We will continue to dig deep to provide both short- and long-term support to Ukraine,” said Austin, who canceled his trip to Brussels due to health concerns. Sitting behind a desk with the flags of the United States and Ukraine behind him, he added: “The countries in this coalition, including the United States, support Ukraine because it is the right thing to do and because it is in our core national security interests.”

Nearly two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine is facing what military analysts say is likely to be a difficult year as Moscow tries to make progress on the battlefield and without immediate help from Washington, its biggest donor.

A $95 billion relief package has been stymied since its introduction in Congress in October. On Tuesday, the Senate approved the package, which included aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with bipartisan support, but the measure faces significant Republican opposition in the House of Representatives.

The legislation would set aside $60.1 billion for the government in Kiev and bring total U.S. investment in the war effort to more than $170 billion. It would also provide money for Israel and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones.

Mr Austin had announced on Monday that he would cancel his trip to Brussels, where he was due to meet in person with NATO and European counterparts.

Mr Austin, 70, was admitted to hospital on Sunday where he was being treated discomfort and concern of a bladder problem related to prostate cancer surgery in December, the Defense Department said. He said he returned to the hospital for non-surgical procedures, his third visit in two months. “My condition is good and my cancer prognosis remains excellent,” he said. He was released on Tuesday.

On December 22, Mr. Austin underwent a so-called prostatectomy, in which all or part of the prostate gland was removed. He was criticized at the time for not immediately disclosing his illness and absence to the White House, a breach of protocol that stunned officials across the government, including in the Pentagon. He was hospitalized for two weeks in January and returned to the Pentagon on January 29.