US State Secretary arrives in Kyiv for two-day visit, with US$1 billion package – Reuters
US State Secretary Antony Blinken's visit to Ukraine will last two days, during which he is expected to announce a new aid package for Ukraine.
Source: Reuters, citing a State Department official, as reported by European Pravda
Details: During his two-day visit, which will see Blinken stay overnight in Ukraine for the first time since Russia's invasion in February 2022, he is likely to announce a new US aid package worth over US$1 billion, a senior State Department official said during a press briefing on the trip.
Blinken, the first senior US official to visit Kyiv since the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, as well as other senior officials and civil society representatives, the official said.
US officials have been careful not to publicly criticise Ukraine's military tactics, and last week said they had seen marked progress by the Ukrainian army in the previous 72 hours of the southeast offensive.
Washington would like to discuss with the Ukrainians the progress of the offensive, assess needs on the battlefield, and any steps that may be needed to boost Ukraine's energy security ahead of the winter months, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"I think what's most important is that we get a real assessment from the Ukrainians themselves. We want to see, hear how they intend to push forward in the coming weeks."
Background:
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on the morning of 6 September on an official visit.
- The media unofficially learned about the possibility of his visit the day before, but the State Department refused to comment on the rumours.
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