U.S. Secretary of State told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the Biden administration had notified Congress of its intent to extend $2.2 billion in long-term military financing to Ukraine and its 18 neighbors
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced
visit to Kyiv on Thursday as the
Bidenadministration announced major new military aid worth more than $2.8
billion for Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.
In meetings with senior Ukrainian officials, including
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Blinken said the Biden administration had
notified Congress of its intent to provide $2.2 billion in long-term military
financing to Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO members and
regionalsecurity partners, that are "potentially at risk of future Russian
aggression. "
"We know this is a pivotal moment, more than six months
into Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as your counteroffensive is
now under way and proving effective," Blinken told Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy replied, "We are grateful for the signal, for
this enormous support that you're providing on a day-to-day basis."
The White House said Biden was holding holding a call with
allies and partners "to underscore our continued support for Ukraine."
Heavy weaponry package
The new U.S. military financing is on top of a $675 million
and armored vehicles for Ukraine alone that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
announced earlier Thursday at a conference in Ramstein, Germany.
Pending expected congressional approval, about $1 billion of
the $2.2 billion will go to Ukraine and the rest will be divided among Albania,
Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo,
Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia and Slovenia, the State Department said.
It will help those countries "deter
and defend against emergent threats to their sovereignty and territorial
integrity" by enhancing their military integration with NATO and
countering "Russian influence and aggression," the department said.
"This assistance demonstrates yet again our unwavering
commitment to Ukraine's future as a democratic, sovereign, and independent
state, as well as the security of allies and partners across the region,"
it said.
Foreign Military Financing allows recipients to purchase
U.S.-made defense equipment, often depending on their specific needs.
Short-term needs
The package announced by Austin includes howitzers,
artillery munitions, Humvees, armored ambulances, anti-tank systems and more
that is intended to assist Ukraine with its shorter-term needs as it presses a
counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Austin said "the war is at another key moment."
"Now we're seeing the
demonstrable success of our common efforts on the battlefield," he
said at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was attended by
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukraine's defense minister as well
as officials from allied countries.
Germany and the Netherlands will provide training in
demining to Ukrainian soldiers as well as demining equipment, the countries'
defense ministers said on the sidelines of the meeting with Austin. The
training will be carried out in Germany. The two countries previously joined
forces to send howitzers to Ukraine.
"The capabilities we are delivering are carefully
calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield," Blinken said.
Thursday's contributions bring total U.S. aid to Ukraine to
$15.2 billion since Biden took office. U.S. officials said the new commitments
were intended to show that American support for the country in the face of
Russia's invasion remains firm.
Intensified fighting
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is grateful for the "enormous
support" the United States has sent Ukraine and singled out Biden and
Congress for praise. He said the U.S. was helping Ukraine "return our
territory and lands."
The announcements came as fighting between Ukraine and
Russia has intensified in recent days, with Ukrainian forces mounting a
counteroffensive to retake Russian-held areas.
Ukrainian forces in the northeastern Kharkiv region have
retaken portions of Russian-held territory there as a
Ukrainiancounteroffensive in the south has drained some of Moscow's resources in the
area, according to a report from the Washington-based think tank Institute for
the Study of War.
Meanwhile, shelling continued near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, with the warring sides trading blame
again amid dire warnings from the U.N. atomic watchdog, which has urged the
creation of a safe zone to prevent a catastrophe.
Canine hero
On Wednesday, the U.S. accused Moscow of interrogating,
detaining and forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to Russia.
Russian officials rejected the claim as "fantasy."
In Kyiv before meeting with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Foreign
Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken visited the U.S. Embassy and then the National
Specialized Children's Hospital Ohmatdyt, where he saw
boysand girls injured during Russian bombardments, including Maryna, a
6-year-old from the city of Kherson who lost a leg after a rocket struck her
house.
In the hospital lobby, Blinken also met Patron, a Jack
Russell terrier that has helped Ukraine's military find more than 200 mines
laid by Russian forces. Blinken kneeled down, petted the dog and presented him
with treats, saying he was "world famous."
In one ward, Blinken brought a basket of stuffed animals,
which the children quickly dangled in front of Patron to get his attention.
Blinken told parents that "the spirit of your children
sends a very strong message around the world."
(Text and
images by AP.)
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