Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine April 24 for a diplomatic meeting with various members of the Ukrainian government in a show of the United States' “unwavering” support for Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Blinken and Austin met with resident Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov, Head of Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak, Chief of Defense General Valeriy Zaluzhny and Ambassador Oksana Markarova, according to an April 25 release.
“Both Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin shared their admiration for the everyday heroism exhibited by the Ukrainian people – whether the soldier on the frontlines, those who are ministering the wounded, sick or vulnerable or the defiant grandmothers resisting Russian aggression,” Department of State Ned Price said, according to the release.
Blinken said President Joe Biden has plans to nominate Bridget Brink, current U.S Ambassador to Slovakia, to be the next ambassador to Ukraine during the meeting, the release reported. She previously served as senior advisor and deputy assistant secretary to the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and was the deputy chief of mission for the U.S embassies in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Tbilsi, Georgia.
The two Cabinet officials discussed “significant assistance to Ukraine's security” and its economic, governance and humanitarian needs. Blinken said the U.S plans to send more diplomats to Ukraine this week, according to the release.
Austin said the U.S. Department of Defense plans to expand military training for Ukrainian service members on weapons systems from the U.S., the release reported.
The U.S. will provide Ukraine and 15 other nations with more than $713 million in Foreign Military Financing, with $650 million of it from the Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, the release said. The State Department notified Congress of a Foreign Military Sale of up to $165 million for non-standard ammunition for Ukraine.
