US Secretary of State Visits Ukraine After One Year to Discuss Counteroffensive Against Russia

Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State [Photo by Yonhap News]

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken made a surprise visit to Ukraine after one year, expressing the United States' commitment to continue supporting Ukraine.

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, stated on the 6th (local time) in a press release, "Secretary Blinken arrived in Ukraine today to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and to reaffirm the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russia's invasion."

During his visit, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and others to discuss Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive and future reconstruction efforts.

The State Department explained that Secretary Blinken plans to discuss Ukraine's needs in the areas of energy, security, and humanitarian aid, and announce how the United States will continue to support Ukraine in these fields.

Before his meeting with Foreign Minister Kuleba, Secretary Blinken said, "We have seen Ukraine make good progress in its counteroffensive," adding, "I hope Ukraine secures not only what it needs to succeed in the counteroffensive but also what is necessary to establish strong long-term deterrence and defense to prevent such invasions from happening again in the future." He emphasized, "Ukraine has a strong partner in the United States."

Secretary Blinken previously made a surprise visit to Kyiv on September 8 last year, where he held high-level talks with Foreign Minister Kuleba and others and pledged large-scale military support.

Meanwhile, in relation to this, Russia claimed that the United States intends to support Ukraine, which is in a state of war, until the end. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, told reporters on the same day regarding Secretary Blinken's visit to Ukraine, "We have repeatedly heard that they (the United States) intend to continue helping Ukraine as much as necessary."

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