Blinken: "We Must And We Will Continue To Support Ukraine"

Top diplomats from the U.S. and the rest of the NATO member nations closed a two-day meeting in Brussels on Wednesday with a pledge to continue supporting Ukraine despite dwindling military assistance and concerns about the Middle East war might be taking attention away from Kyiv, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Some are questioning whether the United States and other NATO Allies should continue to stand with Ukraine as we enter the second winter of Putin’s brutality. But the answer here today at NATO is clear and it’s unwavering:  We must and we will continue to support Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters.

According to him, ensuring that Russia’s war of aggression remains a strategic failure is as vital today as when the Kremlin launched that war almost two years ago.

He went on to elaborate: "... As we’ve said repeatedly, if we allow a country like Russia to act with impunity to redraw the borders of another by force, to try to determine and dictate the future of another country, if that happens with impunity then it’s open season and any would-be aggressor anywhere is likely to draw lessons from that. That’s why it’s been so important to us, but also to every country around the table, to stand strongly with and for Ukraine.  And I heard nothing to suggest the contrary."

Worries about continued assistance have been exacerbated in the U.S. as Congress stalls in passing President Biden’s request for $61.4 billion in additional aid for Kyiv. Blinken said he’s confident it’ll be approved.

He also spoke about the adversaries and how they are not standing on the sidelines. "Most of the drones that we’ve seen used in the biggest-ever drone attack on Kyiv just last weekend... those were made and supplied by Iran," he said.  North Korea is also providing significant arms shipments to Russia. 

"Stakes for all of us are clear... And again, I heard this from everyone around the table.  And we must send an unequivocal message:  No country will be allowed to redraw borders by force. That’s an interest of every single Ally around the table; it’s an interest of many countries beyond this Alliance with whom we’ve been working since February of 2022," Blinken emphasized.

He concluded: "And it’s also why we’re accelerating efforts to enable Ukraine to stand strongly on its own feet – militarily, economically, democratically."