U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called on Russia to stop the war in Donbas, end destabilization in the Black Sea and along the Ukrainian borders, and stop cyber attacks on the United States and its allies.

At a briefing following talks with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran in Kyiv on Tuesday, Austin said that President Joe Biden, during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington, said that the U.S. support for Ukrainian sovereignty is unshakable. The United States condemns the occupation of Crimea and call on Russia to stop the war in the east of Ukraine, stop the destabilization of actions in the Black Sea and along the borders of Ukraine and stop cyberattacks against the United States, its allies and partners.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense said that since 2014, the United States has allocated over $2.5 billion for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to ensure the country's territorial integrity and protect its territorial waters.