Pentagon reaffirms support for Ukraine in first defense heads call since Biden's campaign exit

(Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Washington's unwavering support for Ukraine in a call with Ukraine's defense minister, Rustem Umerov, the Pentagon said late on Tuesday

It was the first call between the defense heads since U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement that he was ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination to take on Republican former President Donald Trump.

"During the call, the secretary reaffirmed the unwavering support of the United States for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression," the Pentagon's press secretary, Major General Pat Ryder, told journalists at a briefing, according to a transcript on the U.S. Department of Defense website.

Umerov said he and Austin also discussed the recent developments on the frontline and Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs.

"I once again highlighted the importance and urgency of lifting the bans on long-range fires," Umerov said in a statement on X.

Washington, under the helm of Biden, has been Ukraine's biggest supporter in the war that Russia has been waging against its smaller neighbor. The U.S. has provided more than $50 billion in military aid since 2022.

After a call between Harris' national security adviser and his chief of staff on Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was important that "the dynamics of our joint work for a just peace do not diminish."

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Leslie Adler)