US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has said that he hopes Russia’s military losses sustained during the war in Ukraine will act as a deterrent to committing future acts of aggression.
Speaking in Kyiv after meeting with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, Austin said: “We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can't do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.”
Speaking in Poland after the trip, Austin praised Ukraine’s armed forces and told the media that with “the right equipment” and “right support”, the US was confident that it could still win the war.
As Russia steps up its assault in the Donbass region in Ukraine's southeast, the US has pledged a further $713 million [£559 million] of military aid to Ukraine and 15 other NATO states.
The US has now provided in excess of $3.7 billion [£2.9 billion] in support since the start of the war.
Zelensky said that the Ukrainian government was grateful for the “unprecedented assistance” provided by the US and “would like to thank president Biden personally and on behalf of the entire Ukrainian people”.
Meanwhile, Blinken has also revealed that the US is planning to send diplomatic staff back to Ukraine from next week.
Commenting on the US’ wider support strategy for the country, Blinken said: “The strategy that we've put in place, massive support for Ukraine, massive pressure against Russia, solidarity with more than 30 countries engaged in these efforts, is having real results. We're seeing that when it comes to Russia's war aims, Russia is failing, Ukraine is succeeding.
“A sovereign, independent Ukraine will be around a lot longer than [Russian president] Vladimir Putin is on the scene.
Elsewhere, the BBC reports that Russia's ambassador to the US has confirmed the sending of a letter to Washington DC by the Kremlin, requesting that the Biden administration stops providing Ukraine with military aid.
The UK has also stepped up its own support to Ukraine in recent days, after prime minister Boris Johnson informed Zelensky during a telephone discussion that more armoured vehicles, drones and anti-tank weapons would be provided.
Johnson has also recently confirmed plans for the British embassy to reopen in Kyiv soon.
Image taken from Wikimedia Commons
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