US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a surprise visit to Kiev. Blinken arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Thursday after an overnight flight. It is his second visit to the country since the Russian invasion began in February.
The US Secretary of State visited a children’s hospital in Kiev, further stations of the visit, which were not announced publicly, were not previously known. Shortly before that, the US State Department had announced further loans and guarantees worth about two billion euros for Ukraine and its neighboring countries.
More military aid promised
In addition, the United States is supplying more weapons to Ukraine, worth about 682 million euros. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced this on Thursday during the Ukraine Contact Group meeting in Ramstein. Since April, Washington has already supplied war material with a total volume of 6.3 billion euros. Austin stressed that the Allies’ military support to Ukraine is bearing fruit: “We see the demonstrable success of our efforts on the battlefield.”
The purpose of the grants is to increase the security of Ukraine and 18 neighboring countries, including many NATO allies and other regional partners most at risk of future aggression by Russia, a US State Department official said.
Four billion dollars in loans and guarantees
In the past fiscal year, which ended in June, the US had already provided loans and guarantees to Ukraine and its neighbors amounting to approximately four billion dollars (4 billion euros).
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
