On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unscheduled visit to Kyiv as the Biden administration announced major new military aid totaling more than $2 billion for Ukraine and other European nations threatened by Russia.
Blinken stated, during meetings with senior Ukrainian officials, that the Biden administration had notified Congress of its intention to provide $2 billion in long-term Foreign Military Financing to Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO members and regional security partners “most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression.”
The State Department stated that, pending expected congressional approval, approximately $1 billion will be allocated to Ukraine and the remaining funds will be distributed to Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
It will be used to help these nations “deter and protect against emerging threats to their sovereignty and territorial integrity” by improving their military integration with NATO and resisting “Russian influence and aggression,” according to the defense department.
“This support underscores our steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s future as a democratic, sovereign, and independent state, as well as to the security of our allies and partners throughout the region,” the statement stated.
Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, allows recipients to purchase U.S.-made defense equipment, often depending on their specific needs.
The funding is in addition to a $675 million package of heavy weapons, ammunition, and armored vehicles for Ukraine revealed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a conference in Ramstein, Germany, earlier on Thursday.
This package include howitzers, artillery projectiles, Humvees, armored ambulances, anti-tank systems, and more equipment.
According to Austin, “the war is at another critical juncture” as Ukrainian forces launch a counteroffensive in the south of the country. He stated, “We are now witnessing the clear success of our combined efforts on the battlefield.”
Austin told the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was attended by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine’s defense minister, and officials from allied countries, that “the nature of the war is changing, and so is the mission of this contact group.”
Germany and the Netherlands will give demining training and equipment to Ukrainian forces, according to statements made by their military ministers during a meeting with Austin. Training will be conducted in Germany. Previously, the two nations collaborated to ship howitzers to Ukraine.
Since Biden assumed office, Thursday’s contributions raise the total U.S. aid to Ukraine to $15,2 billion. The fresh promises, according to U.S. officials, are designed to demonstrate unshakable American support for the country in the face of the Russian invasion.
In recent days, fighting has escalated between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukrainian forces launching a counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-held territory in the south and east.
The shelling of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe’s largest, has continued, with the warring parties trading blame despite dire calls from the United Nations’ atomic inspector for the establishment of a safe zone to prevent a disaster.
Wednesday, the United States accused Russia of interrogating, detaining, and forcefully deporting tens of thousands of Ukrainians. Russian officials promptly dismissed the claim as “fiction.”
Before meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken visited the U.S. embassy and then the National Specialized Children’s Hospital Ohmatdyt, where he saw boys and girls injured during Russian bombardments, including Maryna, a 6-year-old from the city of Kherson who lost a leg when a rocket hit her home.
Blinken also saw “Patron,” a Jack Russell terrier that has helped the Ukrainian military locate more than 200 mines buried by Russian forces, in the hospital’s lobby. Blinken knelt down, pet the dog, and gave it treats, proclaiming that the animal was “world famous.”
Blinken brought a basket of toy animals to one ward, which the youngsters swiftly placed in front of Patron to attract his attention.
Blinken advised parents, “The spirit of your children sends a powerful message over the globe.”
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