Antony Blinken set to meet Ukraine's Kuleba in Brussels as Moscow-Kyiv war enters Day 43

As Russian war against Kyiv escalated to day 43, US State Secretary Antony Blinken on is set to meet with his Ukrainian on Thursday. itinerary of Blinken's schedule reveals that top US diplomat will participate in rth Atlantic Foreign Ministerial Session on Shared Security Challenges, including Support to Partners and ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine on April 7.

meeting comes after Blinken met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and discussed efforts to provide security and or forms of assistance to our Ukrainian partners in response to Russian Federation’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, according to a press release by US State Department spokesperson Ned Price. leers also ted preparations for June 29-30 NATO Summit in Mrid and reaffirmed support for NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners, Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand, attending Ministerial for first time, Price ded. At meeting with Stoltenberg, Secretary Blinken reiterated US support for development of a new NATO Strategic Concept that dresses current and future threats to international rules-based order. 

On Wednesday, Blinken also met with foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and UK to deliberate on plans to bolster support for Ukraine. top leers also discussed ways to enhance security and ecomic and humanitarian assistance to war-torn nation. 

US pledges 10 anti-tank systems to Ukraine

Reiterating support for Kyiv amid aggravated Russian assault, Blinken on Wednesday anunced 10 anti-tank systems for Ukraine. This comes after US State Department last week dded extra funding to assist Ukrainians with a consistent supply of personal protection equipment, including field gear, tactical equipment, medical supplies, communication systems, and armoured vehicles. It is pertinent to mention that since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, Biden ministration has authorized a total of $1.35 billion to provide immediate security assistance “to help Ukraine meet armored, airborne, and or threats it is facing.” Washinton has also committed more than $4 billion in State Department- and DOD-funded security assistance “to help Ukraine" since Russian invasion began, as per CRS report on US assistance to Ukraine. 

On Wednesday, Blinken also slammed Russia for its "planned campaign to kill" civilians in Bucha, a town on outskirts of Kyiv. Calling for accountability for "gecide", Blinken also warned that with Russian troops withdrawing, re is an imminent danger that Russia could be "planning strikes elsewhere." He ded it is too early to determine what Russia implied by "regrouping." 

(Im: AP)