Blinken Discusses US Diplomats' Return, Aid Package With Ukraine's Kuleba - Price

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st May, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed Washington's support to Kiev in a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, US State Department Spokesperson Ned price said.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to follow up on their April 24 meeting in Kyiv. ...The Secretary provided an update on plans for U.S. diplomats to return to Ukraine, including initial visits to Lviv this week and plans to return to Kyiv as soon as possible. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the Administration's April 28 request to Congress for $33 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian aid to empower Ukraine to defeat the Kremlin's unconscionable war," Price said in a Saturday statement.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden asked the US Congress for $33 billion in emergency supplemental funding to support Ukraine, including $20 billion for military assistance. The request comes on top of about $4 billion in military aid the Biden administration has already committed to Ukraine, $3.

4 billion of which came after Russia launched its military operation in late February.

Last weekend, Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kiev and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During their visit, Blinken and Austin said that US diplomats were going to return to Ukraine in the coming week. US media reported on Tuesday that US diplomats, who relocated to Poland in advance of Russia's operation, conducted a day trip to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where many of Ukraine's decision makers had relocated from Kiev.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, after the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.