Security Assistance Group Ukraine commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Aguto Jr., center, walks with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Army Europe-Africa commander Gen. Darryl Williams at USAREUR-AF headquarters at Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany, on June 14, 2023. Aguto is reportedly spending extensive time in Kyiv as a war adviser, according to a New York Times report. (Volker Ramspott/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — A three-star U.S. Army general based in Germany is now spending a lot of time in Kyiv, where he is taking a hands-on role in improving the quality of advice the U.S. is giving to Ukraine’s military, according to a New York Times report.
Lt. Gen. Antonio Aguto Jr., who leads the military’s security assistance initiative for Ukraine from the U.S. Army’s European headquarters in Wiesbaden, is being dispatched to the Ukrainian capital on a rotational basis, the newspaper said Monday.
Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, declined to comment when asked about Aguto’s reported travels to Ukraine, citing operational security reasons.
“U.S. military officials regularly engage with the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and senior Ukrainian military leaders to consult on a range of issues,” O’Donnell said.
U.S. European Command’s Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who serves as NATO’s supreme allied commander, also has been playing a larger role in delivering military advice to officials in Ukraine, a move that comes as the counteroffensive against Russia has turned into a virtual stalemate.
Last month, Cavoli made his first visit to Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, joining Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on an unannounced visit to Kyiv.
Their trip was meant to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine, even as uncertainty grows over the durability of Washington’s pledge to keep weapons flowing to the country.
This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Washington to try to galvanize support for his war effort, which is heavily dependent on weapons and ammunition deliveries from the U.S. and European countries.
However, Ukraine’s failure to make substantial gains during its much-anticipated summer counteroffensive has raised questions about Kyiv’s military strategy.
It also has tested the patience of some Republicans in Washington who want to curtail American support for Ukraine.
Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican from Ohio who is a prominent critic of continued support, said Sunday that the U.S. should encourage Ukraine to give up land to Russia to end the fighting.
“What’s in America’s best interest is to accept Ukraine is going to have to cede some territory to the Russians and we need to bring this war to a close,” Vance said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
However, Zelenskyy said Monday that giving up territory isn’t an option. He also said there was no sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in any kind of peace deal.
“Let me be frank with you, friends: If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique,” Zelenskyy said in a speech at the National Defense University in Washington. “They see their dreams come true when they see the delays or some scandals and ... when the support of freedom fighters (goes) down.”
Zelenskyy and U.S. backers of Ukraine have argued that Europe’s security is riding on the war’s outcome because a victorious Putin would be emboldened.
Critics of that outlook, however, say Moscow’s military difficulties in Ukraine have exposed the limits of Russian might and its ability to challenge the American-led NATO alliance.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy was slated to meet with Senate and House leaders, and later in the day with President Joe Biden to make his case for more support.
