Austin defends U.S. support to Ukraine, 'looks forward' to welcoming Sweden, Finland in NATO

Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Lloyd Austin has defended the continued U.S. support to Ukraine amid the country's war with Russia, which he called a direct threat to European security and a challenge to NATO allies.

Austin, the Secretary of Defense, made his comments during a speech at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia on Saturday ahead of a trip to Indonesia and Cambodia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Defense Ministers Meeting Plus.

The Pentagon chief's comments came as he named China and the war in Ukraine dual threats to the United States and the "international rules-based system that has kept the peace since the end of World War II."

"Keeping the international system open and secure is at the heart of everything that we do," he said. "But today, that stable, open system is under threat -- and not just from the generational challenge of the People's Republic of China, but from a tragic, devastating war in the heart of Europe."

Austin added that Russia's "deliberate cruelty" has also served as an attack on the rules for modern warfare causing Europe to grapple with "the instability, the destruction, the human misery, the flood of refugees, and the other dangers of an even more reckless and aggressive Russia."

He said that the U.S. has since stationed permanent forces on NATO's eastern flank in Poland and is "looking forward to welcoming Finland and Sweden, two highly capable democracies, to NATO's ranks."

"Make no mistake: We will not be dragged into Putin's war of choice, but we will stand by Ukraine as it fights to defend itself," Austin said. "We will defend every inch of NATO territory."

Austin concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown the world a preview of a "possible world of tyranny and turmoil."

"It's an invitation to an increasingly insecure world haunted by the shadow of nuclear proliferation," Austin said.

Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry -- which has offered daily intelligence updates throughout the war -- said in a statement Sunday that Russia's recent withdrawal from west of Kherson "was conducted in relatively good order compared to previous major Russian retreats during the war."

"During the retreat, vehicle losses were likely in the tens rather than hundreds, while much kit that was left behind was successfully destroyed by Russian forces to deny it to Ukraine," the British Defense Ministry said.

"This relative success is likely partially due to a more effective, single operational command under General Sergei Surovikin. However, the force remains riven by poor junior and mid-level leadership and cover-up culture."

The Institute for the Study of War, a think-tank based in Washington, D.C., said in an analysis on Saturday that Russian forces are reportedly beginning to reinforce their positions in occupied Luhansk, Donetsk, and eastern Zaporizhzhia oblasts with personnel from Kherson.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Saturday that his country had received an "extremely important visit" from Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"Thank you, Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister, for your willingness to defend freedom even more strongly with us," Zelensky said. "We also have some very necessary decisions -- we agreed on them today."

The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Sunday that "powerful explosions" were reported at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday as Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the renewed shelling.