Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv early Monday morning, as the future of US aid to Ukraine hangs in the balance of the imminent US presidential election and as Russia continues to make small but steady gains on the battlefield.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday to bolster support for the war effort as Ukrainian forces steadily lose ground to Russian troops and allies stop short of fully endorsing Ukraine’s latest plan to end the conflict.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv early Monday with the state of U.S.-Ukrainian relations on the verge of change with the presidential election next month and Russia making new gains.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv Monday morning as concerns rise in Ukraine over the U.S. election and how that will affect the war with Russia.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital and as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes Western partners to keep providing military support for the war.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.