NEWS
Antony Blinken Meets With Ukrainian Leaders To Discuss Counteroffensive
Courtesy of @secblinken via Instagram
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with Ukraine’s leaders for the third time since Russia began its invasion of the country in February 2022.
Blinken is meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the country’s counteroffensive, which is now in its fourth month, and future recovery efforts.
“Every time I’m here, I’m struck by the extraordinary bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian forces, Ukraine’s leadership,” Blinken said ahead of his meeting with Kuleba. “And I’m here first and foremost to demonstrate our ongoing and determined support for Ukraine as it deals with this aggression.”
Blinken said the counteroffensive was making “good progress,” and is expected to announce additional financial aid for Ukraine during his trip.
“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs it for the long term to make sure that it has a strong deterrent, strong defense capacity so that, in the future, aggressions like this don’t happen again,” Blinken said.
“We’re also determined to continue to work with our partners as they build and rebuild a strong economy, a strong democracy — all of that which is necessary to ensure that Ukraine not only survives, but it thrives in the future. And in that, Ukraine has a strong partner in the United States,” Blinken said.
Since 2014, when Russia first annexed Ukrainian territory in Crimea, through August of this year, the U.S. has provided a total of $46 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, according to the latest report from the Congressional Research Service. Of that, $43 billion has been committed since February 2022.
Last month, President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve nearly $24 billion in additional aid for Ukraine and “other international needs,” including $10.5 billion in direct security assistance to Ukraine and neighboring countries affected by the war.
TMX contributed to this article.
