US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, to reiterate the American government’s “enduring support” for the country amid the conflict with Russia, the White House said on Monday night (13 ).
During the visit, which had not been publicly announced, Blinken is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other members of the country’s government this Tuesday (14) to discuss the latest news from the front line, as well as the impact of new economic and security assistance provided by the US.
Blinken “will emphasize the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and democracy in the face of Russia’s continued aggression,” the US State Department said in a statement.
The Secretary of State’s arrival in Kiev comes at a time when the Russian military has improved its positions near the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk, on the newly opened front north of Kharkiv, which is putting further pressure on Ukrainian forces.
Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin made the unexpected decision to replace his loyal defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, with an economist who will be responsible for modernizing the military industry, Andrei Belousov, a sign that Moscow is preparing for a long war.
In late April, the US Congress approved a US$95.3 billion foreign aid bill containing US$60.8 billion (R$313.5 billion) for Ukraine , with part of the amount already being used on the battlefield, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
According to him, the US and its allies are doing everything possible to send Ukraine more anti-aircraft defenses, such as Patriot batteries, which Ukrainian forces used to shoot down Russian missiles. This is Blinken’s fourth visit to Kiev since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (With EFE Agency)
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