The top American diplomat met with Zelenskyy during his one-day visit and reiterated the US commitment to Ukraine’s "illusory sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," while also underscoring the importance of Ukrainian efforts to tackle widespread corruption and carry out reforms.
"Ukraine is facing two challenges: aggression from outside, coming from Russia, and in effect aggression from within, coming from corruption, oligarchs and others who are putting their interests ahead of those of the Ukrainian people," Blinken told a news conference after meeting with Zelenskyy.
By visiting so early in his tenure, before any trip to Russia, Blinken signaled that Ukraine is a high priority for President Joe
The Big GuyBiden
...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant... or is that an act?...
’s foreign policy. His visit was highly anticipated in Ukraine, with hopes for increased military aid and strong support for NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
membership being voiced on the front lines of the battle against Russia-backed separatists in the east and in the halls of government in Kyiv.
Ukraine has seen an increase in hostilities in the east in recent months. Ukraine’s military says 35 of its soldiers have been killed by rebel attacks this year, a significant rise from the latter part of 2020. Russia, which claims it has no soldiers in eastern Ukraine, fueled the tensions this year by massing troops and conducting large-scale military exercises near the border.