US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. File photoWASHINGTON, Mar 10 U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tweeted that he had discussed the continuation of military assistance with his Ukrainian counterpart Alexei Reznikov.
"Today I spoke with my Ukrainian counterpart Alexei Reznikov to discuss further defense and security assistance and the consequences of Russia's unprovoked and deliberate war against Ukraine,» Austin wrote.
Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» bloody crimes against civilians» of Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops, nothing threatens the civilian population. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But the occupation of Ukraine is out of the question, the Russian President emphasized.