US Secretary of State to visit Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in Ukraine today for a two-day visit intended to reaffirm America’s support for Ukraine.
Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the back of this weeks G-7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ meeting.
The visit comes in the aftermath of a large-scale Russian military exercise near its border with Ukraine, which prompted US President Joe Biden and NATO leaders to express support for Ukrainian territorial integrity and call on Russia to de-escalate tensions. Although Russia has since withdrawn its estimated 100,000 troops, the US weighed requests to send additional weaponry on top of the $125 million military aid package sent to Ukraine in March.
Expect Blinken’s visit to focus on securing Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic future. As it is within US interests to help Ukraine move on a westward trajectory, todays meeting will encourage continued progress on Ukraine’s institutional reform agenda, specifically in economic , defence and anti-corruption reforms. Whilst Ukraine’s sights are clearly set on full NATO membership, the US is unlikely to publicly promote Ukraine’s accession without evidence of genuine reform. Instead expect the Biden administration to pursue a more intrusive relationship with Ukraine, especially in the face of Russian aggression.
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