US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that he welcomes the bravery and perseverance of Ukrainian soldiers fighting in Bakhmut.
The head of the Pentagon said this at a briefing, CNN reports.
"The Ukrainians are doing
something extraordinary in the Bakhmut region
. The Russians have been working on taking Bakhmut for about seven months, and they have not succeeded - and this is due to the diligence, dedication, and concentration of Ukrainian soldiers," he said.
Austin emphasized that any decision on whether Ukrainian troops should remain in Bakhmut or relocate will be made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
"If Zelensky says that it is necessary to regroup, it does not mean that the war is lost. It is up to them to decide where to stay and how long to conduct defense. It is up to them, not us," Austin said, adding that the Pentagon will support
any - what is Zelensky's decision
on this issue.
He also noted that he had observed the bipartisan support of the United States in providing aid to Ukraine and expressed hope that such support would continue in the future.
"Ukraine matters
. It's not just important to Ukraine or the United States, it's important to the world. It's about the rules-based international order," Austin concluded.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General
Mark Milley,
who also participated in the briefing, added that
Russia
is making "small tactical gains" around the city of Bakhmut, but
"at an extremely high cost."
It will be recalled that on March 14, a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief took place, at which the participants "expressed a common position regarding the further maintenance and protection of Bakhmut."
Earlier, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, announced the transition at a crucial moment in Ukraine's struggle for freedom.
He also said that Ukraine can get more air defense systems, and said that currently nine countries of the world have volunteered to hand over 150 Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Today, March 15, the tenth meeting in the "Rammstein" format took place.
The head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov summed up the results of "Ramstein-10".
Read also:
Ukraine news
War in Ukraine
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