(PresidentialHill.com)- On Thursday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken unexpectedly visited Ukraine. While there, he committed to providing extra support to the conflict-torn country as it worked to retake land that had been occupied by Russian forces.
Blinken made his second journey to Ukraine after Russia invaded the nation at the end of February. During this trip, he met with high-ranking authorities in the country’s capital city of Kyiv. This trip was a part of the most recent efforts made by the United States to communicate its support for Ukraine and its intention to give military aid.
As part of the war operations, the administration of President Joe Biden has declared that it will provide an additional $2 billion in aid to Ukraine and other nations in the region; however, the specifics of this financing are unclear.
According to a statement by the Department of State, “This support reflects again our steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s future as a democratic, sovereign, and independent state as well as the security of allies and partners across the region.”
The unexpected visit by Blinken comes when Ukraine is working to retake control of conquered territory in the eastern and southern regions of the nation currently held by Russian soldiers. Even though the Ukrainian military has achieved some progress in recent weeks, the Ukrainian government has stressed the importance of acquiring additional weaponry and backing to prevail over the Russians.
Blinken attributed the success of the counteroffensive to the incredible bravery and resilience of Ukrainians during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said, “fundamentally, what this comes down to, I think the reason for this success is that this is your homeland, not Russia’s. And it’s as basic as that.”
While Blinken was away, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the United States would provide Ukraine with an additional $675 million in military support to finance the purchase of rockets and other armaments. The most recent contribution puts the total amount of aid provided by the United States since the beginning of the war at $13.5 billion.
