U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday the United States would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, amid political chaos in Congress and the crisis in the Middle East.

"The United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," Austin said at the start of a meeting of Ukraine's allies in Brussels.

"We're here to dig deep to meet Ukraine's most urgent needs — especially for air defense and ammunition," Austin said, sitting alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.