Listed here are key takeaways from Blinken and Austin’s conferences in Kyiv

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Sunday, the place they met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and different Ukrainian officers, making them the highest-level US officers to have traveled to the nation since Russia started its invasion.

Listed here are the important thing moments to come back from this go to:

Blinken mentioned US diplomats would return to Ukraine this week, a senior State Division official mentioned, characterizing the transfer as a robust message of solidarity from the US.

As a part of the resumed US diplomatic presence in Ukraine, diplomats will “begin with day journeys into the Lviv” and “will graduate to doubtlessly different elements of the nation and finally, to renew presence in Kyiv,” in line with a senior State Division official.

Austin: “We wish to see Russia weakened” Whereas in Kyiv, Blinken and Austin additionally met with International Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Protection Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and Inside Minister Denys Monastrysky for an prolonged, roughly 90-minute bilateral assembly, the senior State Division official mentioned. The protection minister define among the United States’ objectives because the nation continues to assist Ukraine’s efforts within the warfare.

“We wish to see Russia weakened to the diploma that it will possibly’t do the sorts of issues that it has executed in invading Ukraine,” Austin mentioned at a information convention at an undisclosed location in Poland close to the Ukrainian border following the journey to Kyiv. “So it has already misplaced loads of navy functionality. And loads of its troops, fairly frankly. And we wish to see them not have the aptitude to in a short time reproduce that functionality.”

Extra assist to Ukraine Blinken and Austin mentioned the Biden administration’s intention to supply $713 million in further overseas navy financing to Ukraine and allied European and Balkan companions, in line with the senior State Division official and a senior Protection Division official.

US President Joe Biden on Monday introduced that he’ll nominate Bridget Brink as US ambassador to Ukraine. The put up that has been and not using a confirmed ambassador since Marie Yovanovitch was recalled in May 2019. Brink is the present US ambassador to Slovakia.

Blinken and Austin’s go to got here as the primary tranche of about 50 Ukrainians will full artillery coaching in a rustic exterior Ukraine, the protection official mentioned. One other tranche of about 50 Ukrainians may even start coaching quickly, a protection official mentioned.

Zelensky’s workplace issued a readout of the assembly on Monday, stressing the significance of the US officers’ go to and saying the nation “counts on the assist of our companions.”

Officers reiterate no involvement by US forces In a background briefing, the State and Protection officers made clear that the US navy would nonetheless not be concerned instantly within the warfare.

Within the Monday press briefing, Austin mentioned the US believes Ukraine can win the warfare towards Russia with “the precise tools and the precise assist.”

Will Biden go to? Whereas officers hailed the journey as a testomony to the US dedication to Ukraine, they’ve additionally confronted questions on why Biden didn’t make the journey himself.

“The President of the US is considerably singular, by way of what journey would require. So it goes effectively past what a Cupboard secretary would or what just about some other world chief would require,” the State Division official famous.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the country earlier this month. High officers from the EU and the Baltics have additionally visited Zelensky in Kyiv.

Learn the total report right here: