US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine’s capital by train on Tuesday morning and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, saying after Congress passed a $95 billion foreign aid package in April that aid was “It’s in progress,” he promised.
Blinken is visiting Kiev to “underscore the United States’ enduring support for Ukraine,” the State Department said Tuesday after the secretary of state arrived in the country on an overnight train, saying direct flights to Ukraine remain impossible. Therefore, there is a need for foreign diplomatic visits. .
The two-day visit is the first by a U.S. official since Congress passed a foreign aid package in April that earmarked $61 billion of the $95 billion for Ukraine. Blinken and reporters who attended this morning’s meeting with Ukraine’s president in Kyiv were told by Zelensky that what Ukraine most needs from the United States is air defense systems, and that this is its “biggest deficit.” .
President Zelensky thanked Blinken, but quickly made more demands, saying, “Really today we need two patriots for Kharkov, for the Kharkov region, because people are under attack there. Civilian. People, warriors, everyone is under Russian missiles.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives by train at Kyiv-Pasarzhirskyi Railway Station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 14, 2024. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev on Tuesday morning on an unannounced visit to reassure Ukrainians about the continued influx of US support and weapons as Russia attacks northeastern Kharkiv. (Photo by: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP) (Photo by: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP, Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on duty aboard a Kyiv-bound Ukrainian Railway train near Lviv, Ukraine, on May 13, 2024. (Photo by: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP) (Photo by: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP, Getty Images)
Kiev says eastern Ukraine and the Kharkiv region are under heavy attack by Russian forces, and the country’s second city is also under continuous airstrikes. Speaking to Agence France-Presse, the Blinken official said of the fighting and new weapons donations from Western countries to counter it.[Russia is] They are clearly throwing away everything they have in the east and expanding the fighting to Kharkov…but as aid from the US and other allies and partners pours in, the Ukrainians are becoming increasingly effective in pushing back the Russians. We are very confident that it will become a target. ”
Blinken also said: But we also know that in the short term, aid is currently on the way, some of it has already arrived, and more will arrive…and that it will be used on the battlefield. It would make a huge difference against the ongoing Russian invasion. ” Reuters reported.
The State Department itself outlined the purpose of Blinken’s visit, calling his involvement “up-to-date information on the battlefield, the impact of new U.S. security and economic aid, long-term security and other commitments, and Ukraine’s economic recovery.” to discuss continued efforts to strengthen the He will emphasize America’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression. ”
It again hints at America’s ambitions to bring Ukraine into the NATO alliance, a topic often discussed in Europe as well, although there are occasional concerns about what this might mean in terms of a broader conflict with Russia. , Blinken is also programmed to “address how the United States and other countries respond.” Allies and partners will help Ukraine achieve its goal of building a free, prosperous and secure democracy that is fully integrated into Europe and the Transatlantic Alliance. ”
