The US Secretaries of State and Defense went to Kiev yesterday Sunday in the first visit of US officials to Ukraine since the start of the war with Russia.
During their visit, Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin announced the gradual return of US diplomats to Ukraine, the appointment of a new US ambassador to the country and the provision of more than 700 million in additional aid. The two U.S. secretaries traveled to Poland on Saturday and traveled by road to Ukraine on Sunday, where they met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.
For security reasons, the visit took place in great secrecy and was confirmed by Washington only after Blinken and Austin had left Ukrainian territory.
However, Zelensky had mentioned it as early as Saturday, while Ukrainian officials had confirmed yesterday the presence of the two US ministers in Kiev.
Gradual return of Americans to Ukraine
During their meetings, the two US ministers announced the gradual return of the US diplomatic presence in Ukraine.
Blinken noted that US President Joe Biden is going to appoint Bridget Brink, the current ambassador to Slovakia, as the new US ambassador to Ukraine in the coming days.
The US has not had an ambassador to Ukraine since 2019 and the affairs of the US diplomatic mission are managed by staffers.
The return of the US diplomatic presence in the country will be gradual.
"Since the beginning of the hostilities we have had a team in Poland doing this work. Starting this week, members of the team will be making daily movements inside Ukraine," a State Department official explained to reporters awaiting the two US ministers on the Polish side of the border.
In addition, the US will increase its military assistance to Ukraine by releasing $700 million in military aid. $700 million, of which about $300 million will help the Ukrainians acquire the weapons they need from the market, US officials pointed out.
The rest will go to Ukraine's regional allies who have provided the country with aid and who need to replenish their weapons stocks.
Training in the use of Howitzer guns
Meanwhile, more than 50 Ukrainians are expected to complete training in the use of Howitzer guns, which Washington has begun sending to Kiev today, Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Biden had announced on Thursday the provision of another $800 million aid package. dollars to Ukraine, mostly in the form of heavy weapons, which Zelensky is requesting to repel Russian attacks in the eastern part of the country.
According to Washington, since the beginning of Biden's tenure, the U.S. has offered Ukraine a total of more than $4 billion in military aid.
Source: APM
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