US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday called on Moscow to stop prolonging the war in eastern Ukraine, his second stop in the Black Sea countries he said were threatened by Russian expansionism.
"We again call on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea and to stop perpetuating the war in eastern Ukraine, to end its destabilising activities in the Black Sea and along Ukraine's borders," he said in a meeting with Ukrainian Defence Minister Andriy Taran.
"Russia started this war and Russia is the obstacle to a peaceful resolution," he added.
Austin was in Kiev for discussions on advancing the two countries' defence cooperation, building on the Strategic Defence Framework, a blueprint for bilateral defence and policy cooperation announced in Washington at the beginning of September.
Austin said that his meetings with Taran and President Volodymyr Zelensky, for the second time in less than two months, were important for building cooperation among Black Sea countries, including Georgia and Romania, to confront increased Russian activity in the Black Sea.
Responding to European concerns that the United States is now focusing most of its security attention on China and the Indo-Pacific region, Austin stressed: "This region remains critical to us."
"I like the minister," he added to journalists. "That's why I came back to see him so soon."
Taran said Ukraine retains confidence in the United States despite the recent US abandonment of Afghanistan after a 20-year war against the Taliban.
"We have no doubt in support from our strategic partner," he said.
"The United States understands the importance of Ukraine's struggle for its independence, for deterring Russian aggression."
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