Blinken and Kuleba stress urgency of unblocking aid to Kyiv

The US and Ukrainian diplomatic chiefs this Thursday insisted on the urgency of the North American Congress unblocking an aid package for Kyiv to allow the Ukrainian army to defend itself in the face of increasing attacks from Russia.

Speaking on the Italian island of Capri, where the G7 foreign ministers are meeting until Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken again called on the Republican-majority House of Representatives to approve a financial aid package for Ukraine. , blocked for several months.

“At this time, it is critical that all of Ukraine’s friends and supporters make every effort to continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend against Russian aggression,” Blinken said shortly before meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, who, like Gen. Secretary of NATO, he was invited to this meeting by a group consisting of Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union.

Kuleba, who suggested that his only agenda item in this G7 ministerial participation “is air defense,” stressed that unblocking the North American aid package is critical for Ukraine “to cope with the carnage caused by Russian missiles.” , even guaranteeing that “it’s a matter of life and death.”

For his part, in statements also made upon arrival at the meeting in Capri, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, advocated “faster decisions” by European countries and allies “for better support.” Kyiv, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, cannot be allowed to win.

“The Ukrainians are fighting, but they need weapons, and we need to provide them faster,” he said.

Asked about the aid package blocked for months in the North American Congress by the Republican opposition, the head of European diplomacy acknowledged that it was important that this aid be made available to Kyiv, but warned that the EU must also shoulder its responsibilities “and not simply rely on USA,” but must provide Ukraine with the military equipment it needs, especially in terms of the air defense system.

“I’m confident we will do it, but we need to do it faster,” he said.

Late in the morning, following the results of the first day of the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, assured that it was “a matter of days and weeks” until the EU countries sent the air defense systems that Ukraine constantly asked for.

At the opening of today’s working session, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the “host” of the meeting (given that this year the G7 is led by Italy), said that “supporting Ukraine means working for peace, as if Kyiv is losing, Putin will never sit down at the table for peace talks.”