The US and the UK pledged nearly US$1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine on Wednesday during a visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats as Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided missiles against targets deeper inside Russia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than US$700 million in humanitarian aid, while British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy confirmed that the UK would provide another US$782 million in assistance and loan guarantees.
Much of the effort was aimed at bolstering the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Blinken and Lammy traveled together to the Ukrainian capital on a rare joint tour to underscore their commitment to the country in its war. Air-raid sirens sounded repeatedly during the visit, causing delays in their schedule and forcing them to cancel a wreath-laying ceremony.
Blinken said he would bring the discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about the missiles “back to Washington to brief the president.”
Blinken said US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would “no doubt” talk about the issue when they meet today in Washington.
“Speaking for the United States, we have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed, and I have no doubt that we’ll continue to do that as this evolves,” Blinken told a news conference.
Lammy said the two-and-a-half year conflict is at a “critical” juncture following Ukraine’s daring incursion last month into Russia’s Kursk region.
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