Blinken: Essential for Congress to support Ukraine aid

Blinken spoke in Paris at a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

 “We have to build a stronger allied defense industrial base that’s capable of meeting the challenges of today but also future challenges. And that’s also one of the reasons why it’s essential that the United States Congress pass President Biden’s supplemental budget request as soon as possible once it returns from recess. That would further turbocharge our own defense industrial base,” the State Secretary said.

According to the top diplomat, the whole progressive world is interested in preventing the strengthening of the Russian war machine. “We are working day in day out to effectively prevent the transfer of weapons and materiels to Russia to fuel its war machine, to fuel its defense industrial base, including from Iran, from North Korea, and from China. (…) This is not only a threat to Ukraine, it’s actually a threat to European security as a whole,” Blinken said.

The Secretary of State said that at his meeting with Stephane Sejourne, the parties also discussed assistance to Ukraine, which should create a strong army for the future, attract investments from the private sector, develop its economy, and continue to strengthen democracy. “By moving down the accession path to the EU, we are ensuring that we will have a Urkaine that stands strongly on its own feet – militarily, economically, democratically. And that’s the single best response to Putin’s aggression,” the top diplomat said.

It should be recalled that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to Paris, where he will also negotiate with French President Emmanuel Macron the issue of support Ukraine in the war with the Russian Federation as well as the issue of the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.