Zelensky's Surprise Announcement on Top US Official Visit: "Biden Must Come Too"

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized on the 23rd (local time) that U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who are scheduled to visit Ukraine, "should not come empty-handed."

At a press conference that day, President Zelensky said, "We want specific items and certain weapons." He added, "We will discuss the essential weapons list and delivery speed," and stated, "We want to have powerful heavy weapons."

Before the U.S. government announced it, President Zelensky revealed that the two secretaries would visit Ukraine on the 24th, saying, "I don't think it's a big secret." The White House, Department of Defense, and Department of State have remained silent following Zelensky's surprise announcement. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki previously said, "Even if government officials visit Ukraine, the schedule will not be disclosed in advance for security reasons."

If the visit by Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin takes place, it will be the first visit to Kyiv by top U.S. officials since Russia's invasion on February 24. President Joe Biden and the two secretaries have traveled to border areas such as Poland and Latvia but have not set foot on Ukrainian soil.

On the same day, President Zelensky disclosed the visit of the top U.S. officials and reiterated his call for President Biden to visit Ukraine. He has demanded that President Biden personally visit Ukraine to express support. As attention focused on whether President Biden would go to Ukraine, the White House drew a line, stating that there are no plans to send him to Ukraine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.