Secretary of state: US will deliver 'every dollar' promised to Ukraine
US president Joe Biden will ensure that "every dollar" promised to Ukraine is delivered before 20 January, when Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States, secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
Blinken was visiting the NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss US support for Ukraine, in preparation for Trump's presidency. During his campaign, the president-elect said he would soon end the war in Ukraine. The Biden administration wants to ensure that Ukraine can continue to defend itself from a "position of strength" against Russia in 2025, Blinken said.
NATO is "critical to the security of the United States and the security of countries in Europe", Blinken said, and the US will "continue to reinforce everything" that is being done to support Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Foreign policy shift
Blinken also described the fact that North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine as "deeply and incredibly dangerous". NATO will send a "strong response" to Russia and North Korea, he added.
Biden and his administration will spend the next two months preparing the US for the foreign policy shift Trump is expected to bring when he takes office. On Saturday, the sitting president will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, for the first time in two years.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken and NATO chief Mark Rutte © PHOTO NICOLAS TUCAT / POOL / AFP
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