US supply of 'defensive' weapons to Ukraine to continue

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned Russia's "latest invasion" of Ukraine Tuesday but said the United States is working with allies to prevent the conflict from growing.

Speaking at the Pentagon with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Austin said the United States will continue to work closely with Kyiv and allies "in trying to find a way to avoid further conflict."

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He praised Ukraine's "measured response" in calling for a peaceful solution "in the face of Russia's aggression, provocations and false accusations."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin "can still avoid a full blown, tragic war of choice," Austin added.

Kuleba, in Washington for meetings with top officials as the crisis continued to deteriorate, said he was on a diplomatic mission.

"But these days diplomacy means also defense," he said, as Kyiv seeks broder military support from the United States.

"My message is simple: Strong Ukraine is the best deterrence of Russia," he said.

‘DEFENSIVE’ WEAPONS FOR UKRAINE

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said later Tuesday the United States would continue to supply "defensive" weapons to Ukraine against a Russian invasion and deploy US troops to reinforce NATO allies in Eastern Europe.

"I have authorized additional movements of US forces and equipment, already stationed in Europe, to strengthen our Baltic allies, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania," Biden said in a televised speech at the White House.

"Let me be clear, these are totally defensive moves on our part."

After Biden spoke the Pentagon announced details of the move.

It said it would reposition 800 troops in an infantry battalion task force from Italy to the Baltic region and up to eight F-35 Strike fighter jets from Germany to "several operating locations along NATO's eastern flank."

Twenty AH-64 attack helicopters were to be moved from Germany to the Baltic area and 12 more would be relocated from Greece to Poland.

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The steps would bolster the now more than 90,000 US troops temporarily or permanently deployed in Europe.

"These additional personnel are being repositioned to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO member states, and train with host-nation forces," a US senior defense official said in a statement.

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