Kyiv, 26 April 2022 (TDI): The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, along with the Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J Austin, visited Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The US officials paid the first visit to Ukraine after the Russian invasion. The officials held talks with the Ukrainian President that lasted for three hours.
Furthermore, the American officials pledged new assistance worth $713m for Ukraine. The assistance package includes other countries in the region that feel threatened by possible further Russian aggression.
After the meeting, Blinken expressed that Ukraine is succeeding in its war efforts. He said, “In terms of Russia’s war aims, Russia has already failed and Ukraine has already succeeded”. Likewise, the Defence Secretary also commended Ukraine’s resistance.
Addressing Zelenskyy, he said, “What you’ve done in repelling the Russians in the battle of Kyiv is extraordinary and inspiring quite frankly to the rest of the world.” In addition, he expressed his country’s continued support in “any way possible”.
I spoke about @deptofdefense plans to expand military training for Ukrainian service members in the region on certain weapons systems, and I highlighted our efforts to accelerate the delivery of those systems, many of which are arriving just days after they’re announced.
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) April 25, 2022
The Ukrainian leader, Zelenskyy has been pushing the Western leaders for more heavy weapons and supplies. He expressed the belief that such weaponry is vital for Ukraine to tackle Russia.
Likewise, he expressed appreciation for President Joe Biden’s leadership and for the support of the American people. The US and its allies have pledged their support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
They have sent humanitarian, economic, and military aid to Ukraine. Moreover, they have imposed heavy sanctions against Russia to weaken it economically.
The United States will do everything we can to help the Ukrainians bring an end to the war as quickly as possible. We will have American diplomats back in Ukraine starting this week and the U.S. will continue to be Ukraine’s strongest supporter. https://t.co/3nNX5lABf0 https://t.co/730fIOOM5f
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) April 25, 2022
Russia-Ukraine War
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine two months ago. Recently, however, Russia has withdrawn its forces near Kyiv and refocused its offensive on the Donbas region.
Moreover, Russia has intensified attacks on coastal cities such as Mariupol and Odesa. Russia has faced heavy military losses in terms of equipment.
