US State Secy Blinken lauds Ukraine’s display of courage during war; 'Russia already lost'

US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Friday lauded Ukraine for its sturdy resistance and impactful counterattack against invading Russian troops. Speaking after the Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Global Food Security in Berlin, Blinken took a swipe at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying his ambitions to topple the Kyiv regime and "eliminate Ukraine" have "failed." He further claimed "Russia has already lost" in front of Ukraine's determination to protect its territorial integrity.

"Ukraine is defending itself with extraordinary courage and resilience and Russia has already lost. (Russian) President Putin's objective, in his own words, was to eliminate Ukraine as a sovereign independent country. That effort has failed," US State Secretary Antony Blinken said, as quoted by NEXTA.

This comes after Blinken, during a meeting with G7 members ahead of the much-awaited summit, on June 24, reaffirmed US' commitment to continuing support for Ukraine. "The solidarity is strong. It is real and there is a real commitment to carry it through as long as it is necessary," Blinken said at a press briefing, the Associated Press reported. He went on note Europe's "very courageous steps" to wean off Russian oil.

"We are doing everything we can to support the transition that Europe is making away from Russian oil in the first instance and then ultimately diversifying their sources of energy going forward," he added. He also raised concern over the precarious global food situation amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russian war to cast 40 to 50mn people into hunger: Blinken

Speaking on the outcome of the ongoing Russian war, Blinken yet again shed light on the looming food crisis. Noting the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports as the main reason behind food insecurity, Blinken asserted the war may push about 40 to 50 billion under severe food shortages mainly in vulnerable nations. His comments were in sync with his British counterpart Elizabeth Truss, who earlier this month, accused the Kremlin of "weaponising food."

Meanwhile, the UN subsidiary body, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday, alleviated the warning, saying the war could have a ripple effort, further exacerbating the food crisis in North African countries, like Ethiopia. However, the Kremlin has pinned the blame on Ukrainian authorities saying Kyiv is unable to ship out grains due to mines around its own port.

(Image: AP)