It is a long-awaited trip to Kiev, after weeks of tension on the Russian-Ukrainian border: the US Secretary of State is on a two-day visit to Ukraine. Antony Blinken ...

Ukraine: Antony Blinken in Kiev to show the "unwavering" support of the United States

It is a highly anticipated trip to Kiev, after weeks of tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a two-day visit to Ukraine.

Brendan Smialowski AFP / File

Text by: RFI Follow

5 mins

It is a long-awaited trip to Kiev, after weeks of tension on the Russian-Ukrainian border: the US Secretary of State is on a two-day visit to Ukraine.

Antony Blinken will notably be received by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The opportunity to show the support of the United States in Kiev while calling on the authorities to keep their commitments.

Publicity

The head of American diplomacy comes to testify to the "

unwavering

support

of the United States in Kiev after the deployment of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, in the words of his spokesman Ned Price.

Support "

for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's current aggressiveness

Last month, after a meeting in Brussels with his Ukrainian counterpart, Antony Blinken warned that there would be "

consequences

" in the event of

Russian

aggression

" in Ukraine. Dmytro Kuleba then claimed to have discussed urgent military needs for his country with the Secretary of State. A discussion which will therefore continue in Kiev. President Zelensky will undoubtedly not omit to mention, as he has often done lately, the question of his country's accession to NATO, one month before the summit of the Atlantic Alliance.

Antony Blinken has already spoken on the phone with several Ukrainian officials, he met his counterpart Dmytro Kouleba in Brussels, but for us it is very important that a high representative of the new US administration comes to Kiev for the first time. . This visit is a testament to the United States' support for Ukraine. Many cooperation issues will be discussed during this trip, and first and foremost cooperation in the military-technical field, a very topical issue for Ukraine. There will also be calls from Kiev for Euro-Atlantic integration. Recently, President Zelensky talks about it often. However, this summer, the NATO summit will take place and this theme will obviously be raised during the visit of the Secretary of State.It will also discuss reform in the fight against corruption, which the United States actively supports. But there are no great expectations in the immediate future, it is more of a familiarization visit.

Volodymyr Fessenko, political scientist

Anastasia becchio

► To read also:

NATO says it is in solidarity with the American sanctions against the Kremlin

Governance and anti-corruption issues will also be on the agenda.

The implementation of reforms will be "

essential to guarantee democratic institutions, economic prosperity and the Euro-Atlantic future of Ukraine

", underlines the spokesperson for the Secretary of State who comes, accompanied by his new right-hand man. , Victoria Nuland, already in charge of Ukraine in the Obama administration, at the time of the Maidan revolution.

► To read also: Ukraine: no military truce for the Orthodox Easter in the Donbass

Ukraine: Antony Blinken in Kiev to show the "unwavering" support of the United States

Ukraine: Antony Blinken in Kiev to show the "unwavering" support of the United States

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