Blinken makes a surprise trip to kyiv to announce an additional 2.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in kyiv on Thursday for a visit, the second to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February, which he managed to keep secret.

He made his landing coincide with an announcement by the Joe Biden Administration of a new batch of military aid of 2,200 million dollars (2,207 million euros), destined for Ukraine and 18 other neighbors, "potentially at risk of being attacked by Russia" , according to calculations by US diplomacy.

On that list are NATO members and strategic security partners in the region.

The money sent to kyiv is intended to reinforce the fronts in the south and northwest of the country, where the Russian Army has intensified its attacks in recent days.

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The US diplomatic offensive was completed in the morning by the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, in Ramstein (Germany), where he has committed to a package of 675 million dollars of heavy weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles, this time only for Ukraine .

In conversations with senior officials of the kyiv government, including Defense Minister Dmitro Kuleba, Blinken let them know that he had already requested authorization from Congress in Washington for the new 2,200 million item.

Half will go to kyiv and the rest will be divided between Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. , according to an official communication from the State Department.

The American diplomat has also met with President Volodímir Zelenski.

“The extraordinary defenders on the front lines of Ukraine continue to fight bravely for the freedom of their country, and Biden has made it clear that we will stand with his people for as long as it takes.

I reiterated this message to Zelensky and his team today in kyiv, which remains, and will continue to be, the capital of a sovereign and independent Ukraine," the Secretary of State said in a statement.

In the city, Blinken has visited a children's hospital.

There he learned about the cases of children injured during the Russian bombing, including Maryna, 6 years old, a resident of Kherson, who lost a leg in the impact on her house.

Austin, for his part, has traveled to Ramstein for a meeting with several dozen defense ministers and senior military officials from NATO allied countries, as part of a new round of talks on Western military support for kyiv in the face of the Russian invasion.

Austin stressed in a brief speech before the meeting that the Ukrainian Army "has inspired the world with its determination to defend its democracy", and that those responsible for Defense are preparing to "renew" in Ramstein their commitment to long-term support term to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“We are now seeing the demonstrable success of our common efforts on the battlefield,” he added.

The military support with this new aid package, which is the 20th authorized by the Biden administration, Austin pointed out, includes artillery ammunition, howitzers and self-propelled precision rocket launchers, as well as armor.

The US Secretary of Defense announced that the allies will analyze how to "train Ukrainian forces" and how to adapt their weapons industries to meet Ukraine's needs.

Both things "long term".

The new aid, which comes at a critical time when fighting between Russia and Ukraine has intensified, brings to $15.2 billion the million dollars that the United States has allocated to the country since Biden took office as president.

In a call with reporters, State Department officials said these new gestures underscore once again that US support for the country in the face of Russia's invasion is "unwavering."

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