U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin defended American restrictions on long-range strikes using Western weapons for Ukraine, asserting that the country can defeat Russia even without such capabilities.
He made this statement in an interview with Fox News, as reported by "European Truth".
Austin pointed out that Russia has already relocated the aircraft it uses to carry out strikes with guided bombs beyond the range of the ATACMS system.
"I believe they (Ukrainians) have the ability to continue striking at long distances, and they will do so," Austin stated. "Ukraine has many capabilities that we have provided in terms of drones," he added.
The Pentagon chief emphasized that Ukrainians also have the ability to produce their own drones. "They are very effective. In fact, we have seen them conduct attacks or operations at distances of about 400 kilometers from... the border and even further," he said.
He also assured that he believes in Ukraine's victory and offered his definition of victory. "Ukraine can absolutely win. And we define victory as a sovereign state that can defend its territory and deter aggression in the future," the Pentagon head stated.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense did not clarify whether this means that Ukrainian territory should be defined by the borders that existed before 2022 or whether Ukraine would relinquish the territories occupied by Russia in exchange for peace.
Recall that on Monday, Austin arrived in Kyiv for an unannounced visit.
During the visit, he announced a new military aid package for Ukraine totaling $400 million.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he discussed defense priorities, preparations for winter, and expanding the use of long-range weapons.