Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of State for Defense, departed this Sunday for the Black Sea region to strengthen alliances with countries under Russian pressure and show them the recognition of the United States
US Secretary of State for Defense Lloyd Austin flew to the Black Sea region on Sunday to strengthen alliances with countries under Russian pressure and show them the recognition of the United States for America for their contribution to the war in Afghanistan for two decades.
A desire to strengthen security against “Russian aggression”
Llyod Austin will travel to Georgia, Romania and Ukraine before attending the NATO Defense Ministers’ Summit to be held in person in Brussels on October 21 and 22, 2021. “We reassure and strengthen the sovereignty of countries that are at the forefront of Russian aggression, ”a senior US defense official told reporters before the trip.
Llyod Austin will also extend thanks to his partners for their contributions as well as the significant losses they suffered in coalition forces in Afghanistan for two decades, before the hasty departure of the United States this year.
“We will show our appreciation for the sacrifices and investments of our partners and allies,” said the senior US defense official.
Diplomatic importance
Located on the rim of the Black Sea, where Russia has sought to extend its influence and prevent the expansion of the US-European alliance, the three countries are in NATO orbit, Romania as a member to fully-fledged and Georgia and Ukraine as partner states.
Llyod Austin will end the week at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, where ties with the United States, frayed by Donald Trump’s previous administration, took another blow last month when Australia canceled a mega-contract with France to announce a strategic partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom, causing a major diplomatic crisis between these countries.
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