U.S. Defense Secretary To Visit Black Sea Region To Reassure Allies, Partners

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (file photo)  

RFE: U.S. Defense Secretary To Visit Black Sea Region To Reassure Allies, Partners  

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Black Sea littoral states this week to reassure allies and partners as Russia flexes its military might in the strategic region. 

Austin will visit Georgia, Ukraine, and Romania before attending the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels on October 21-22. 

Romania is a member of the U.S.-led Western military alliance, while Georgia and Ukraine seek to join NATO, something the Kremlin has described as a redline. 

"We are reassuring and reinforcing the sovereignty of countries that are on the front lines of Russian aggression," the Defense Department’s news agency cited a senior official as saying on October 17.  

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Update #1: Defense Secretary Travels to Europe to Reassure Frontline States (US Department Of Defense)  

Update #2: Austin on mission to reassure US allies on front lines with Russia (Washington Examiner)  

Update #3: Eyeing Russia, U.S. Defense Chief Heads to Black Sea Region (AFP) 

WNU Editor: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be visiting Georgia, Ukraine, and Romania before this week's NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels on October 21-22. His first stop is Georgia .... US extends military support to Georgia for 6 years (ABC News/AP).