Earlier Thursday, the Secretary of State for Defense announced aid of $ 675 million to Ukraine in delivery of Himars’ ammunition, ammunition and artillery systems.
Le Monde with AFP
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was, Thursday, September 8, in Ukraine for a surprise visit and discuss a new aid tranche of $ 2.7 billion (2.7 billion euros) For kyiv and his neighbors to deal with Russia. The head of American diplomacy has made the trip in secret, for this second visit to kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
“The secretary really wanted to come [to kyiv] because it is really an important moment for Ukraine,” commented an American official accompanying Mr. Blinken, under the guise of anonymity.
The Ukrainian forces have been leading a vast counter-offensive to take over the Kherson region, in the south of the country, of vital importance for the Ukrainian and strategic economy of Crimea, Ukrainian peninsula since last week last week. annexed by Russia in 2014 and rear base of the invasion.
So little information is available, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also claimed on Wednesday evening territorial gains in the Northeast, near Kharkiv, without naming the localities taken up. “All the assistance in terms of security aims to guarantee that Ukraine succeeds in its counter-offensive”, which would be “very significant for the rest of the war,” said the American official.
Delivery of armaments, ammunition and Himars
A few hours before Mr. Blinken’s arrival in kyiv, the Secretary of State for Defense Lloyd Austin had announced $ 675 million (675.8 million euros) of direct assistance to Ukraine under Form of delivery of Himar weapons, ammunition and rocket launcher, which have already allowed kyiv to strike the Russian supply lines.
By meeting his allies at the Ramstein military base in Germany, Mr. Austin welcomed the “manifest success” of the Ukrainian forces against the Russians on the battlefield. Representatives of more than forty countries and the secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, find themselves on Thursday on this basis to discuss the challenges that the conflict poses in terms of armament production and coordinate their military aid, crucial for the Ukraine.
To this direct aid of 675 million are added $ 2 billion (1.99 billion euros) of loans and subsidies for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors who feel threatened by Russia. Half of this sum would go to kyiv. Among the other eligible countries are Georgia and Moldova, which have areas controlled by prorussian separatists on their territory, as well as to Baltic countries or Bosnia, where tensions are going to crescend with Serbian leaders.
Antony Blinken informed the congress of the granting of these 2 billion dollars intended to “strengthen the security of Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors”, including “a large number” of NATO countries and “other regional partners” feeling threatened by Russia, said a head of the State Department, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The United States has already validated four billion dollars in loans and subsidies to Ukraine and its neighbors during the tax year which ended in June. Western arms deliveries allowed Ukrainian forces to stop the Russian advance by hitting their logistics lines, and launching a large counter-offensive in the south and northeast of the country last week.