Blinken: "Putin Should Be Clear About Futility Of Pursuing Aggression"

Washington D.C./16.08.23/Turan:   The top U.S. diplomat on Tuesday urged the Congress to pass President Biden's $24.1 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine 'right away', TURAN's Washington correspondent reports,

"Our effort and resources, and those of allies and partners around the world, have enabled Ukrainians to fight for their lives, for their freedom, for their future. They’ve helped uphold the basic principles – sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence – that are vital to maintaining international peace and security. They’ve ensured that Russia’s invasion remains a strategic failure," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at the State Department briefing room.

Next week will mark a year and a half since Russia’s full-scale invasion — as Blinken put it, "a year and a half of bombing Ukrainian schools and hospitals, weaponizing food and fuel, killing and wounding thousands of Ukrainians, even abducting Ukrainian children".

The U.S. and dozens of other countries "will continue to stand with them until Ukraine secures a just and durable peace," the Secretary added.

Asked by TURAN if the administration had any concern about future Ukraine funding, State Department Principal Deputy Secretary Vedant Patel said, the support from Congress has been 'not just bicameral, but bipartisan.' 

"And we expect that to continue to go forward. We think that the supplemental is an important opportunity to continue to support our Ukrainian partners," he added.

At the same time, Washington is working with Ukraine on long-term security commitments. Blinken told reporters, "Ukraine should be clear about the enduring nature of our support and that of many other countries that will provide similar commitments to Ukraine.  President Putin should be clear about the futility of pursuing his aggression."

Alex Raufoglu