US will provide Ukraine with necessary support for fighting in winter months - Austin

The United States is determined to provide Ukrainian forces with the necessary equipment and weapons to conduct hostilities in the winter months so that Ukraine can take back every inch of its sovereign territory.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said this during his visit to Indonesia on Monday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We've seen a number of successes on the battlefield and as we go forward into the winter, we [will] try to prepare the Ukrainians for a fight in the winter and enable them to continue to keep pressure on their adversaries in the winter months," he said.

Austin said he was confident that the Ukrainians now are trained much better than the Russian invaders. He said that Ukraine's struggle for its own freedom and restoration of borders is just, and the United States is focused on supporting Ukrainian defenders in everything so that they can achieve their goals and "take back every inch of their sovereign territory."

Austin also said that the United States would continue to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes" amid concerns a new Republican majority in the House may plug up spending for Ukraine.