Sharjah 24 – AFP: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin headed to the Black Sea region Sunday aiming to shore up alliances with countries pressured by Russia and show gratitude for their contributions to the two-decade war in Afghanistan.
Austin will visit Georgia, Romania and Ukraine before taking part in the in-person defence ministers summit at NATO in Brussels on October 21-22.
"We are reassuring and reinforcing the sovereignty of countries that are on the front lines of Russian aggression," a senior US defense official told reporters ahead of the trip.
All three countries are in the NATO orbit -- Romania a full member and Georgia and Ukraine partner states.
All three also sit on the rim of the Black Sea, where Russia has sought to expand its own influence and prevent expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the US-European alliance.
Austin will also extend thanks to its partners for their contributions, and significant losses, as part of coalition forces in Afghanistan over two decades, before the hasty US exit this year that ceded the country to the Taliban.
In Georgia, Austin will meet with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Defense Juansher Burchuladze, with a key aim to keep up defense cooperation as a three-year US Army training program expires this year.
Georgia hopes Austin's visit will help advance its case for becoming a full NATO member.
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