PREVIEW - Blinken Visits Ukraine To Show Support, Press For Reforms

PREVIEW - Blinken Visits Ukraine to Show Support, Press for Reforms

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2021) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Ukraine on Thursday where he is expected to press for reforms and reaffirm American support to the country amid its tensions with Russia.

Ukrainian officials have hailed Blinken's trip as his "first full-fledged bilateral visit to the European capital."

In Kiev Blinken will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, local lawmakers and representatives of the civil society, the State Department said.

According to the State Department, Blinken will reaffirm "unwavering US support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression."

The visit comes as Russia is pulling troops back from Ukrainian borders after a massive buildup for a snap readiness check that scared Kiev and its Western patrons.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhenii Yenin said in an interview to a local broadcaster Ukraina24 that Blinken's visit sends "a signal of extremely strong support" and may result in increased political and defense assistance from the US.

Relations between Moscow and Kiev have deteriorated in the wake of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia in 2014.

Ukraine has since repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in its affairs. Moscow denies any role in the internal Ukrainian conflict and slams the accusations as unacceptable.

Blinken also plans to encourage "continued progress on Ukraine's institutional reform agenda, particularly anti-corruption action." The State Department described reforms as key to "securing Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic future."

The US has recently lashed out at Ukraine for the management reshuffle in Naftogaz, the country's major energy company. Blinken is expected to call again for "the respect for good, transparent corporate governance, especially in the state-run entities."

"We will talk about enhancing cooperation in trade and investments; we will talk about increasing the potential for mutual cooperation within international organizations; and we will talk about the mechanisms of technical assistance that the Ukrainian economy, including the energy sector, needs so much today," Yenin told Ukraina24.

Blinken comes to Ukraine from the UK where he attended the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting and had a series of bilateral engagements with foreign colleagues.