Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the case for continued international support for Ukraine on Tuesday in his first public remarks since his release from a two-week hospitalization for complications from surgery to treat prostate cancer.

Austin praised Kyiv's resolve in its defense against Russia's invasion and touted military aid provided by European allies in his opening remarks at a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the coalition of nations providing weapons and equipment to Ukraine.

"Let's be clear. Our support for Ukraine's struggle against tyranny makes all of our countries more secure," Austin said. "If we lose our nerve, if we flinch, if we fail to deter other would-be aggressors, we will only invite even more bloodshed and more chaos."

"We must not waver in our support for Ukraine," the Pentagon chief added.

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