US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Ukraine on Thursday for another surprise visit to discuss a new $2.7 billion aid package for Kyiv and its neighbors. including Romania, to deal with Russia, according to AFP and the American TV channel FOX5.
The American official made a secret visit to Ukraine during his second visit to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
“The Secretary of State really wanted to come because this is a very important moment for Ukraine,” an American official told France Presse on condition of anonymity.
During meetings with senior Ukrainian officials, Blinken said the Biden administration has notified Congress of its intention to provide $2 billion in long-term external military funding to Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO members and regional security partners, that are “under threat.” future Russian aggression”.
The new tranche of aid from Washington consists of 675 million euros in the form of arms and ammunition supplies to Kyiv, and the rest in the form of loans and subsidies for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors.
Which countries will receive aid for the purchase of weapons
About one billion dollars of this amount will go to Ukraine, and the rest will be shared among Romania, Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia , reports the State Department.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced on Thursday $675 million in aid to Ukraine to supply weapons, ammunition and HIMARS artillery systems, which have already enabled Kiev to strike Russian supply lines.
The US has already approved $4 billion in loans and grants for Ukraine and its neighbors in the fiscal year that ends in June.
Arms supplies from the West allowed Ukrainian troops to stop Russia’s advance by striking their rear lines.
In recent days, Ukraine has stepped up its counteroffensive in the Russian-occupied south of the country, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced Wednesday night that his troops had recaptured towns in the northeast, in the Kharkiv region.
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Source: Hot News RU
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