Blinken declares 'critical moment' at Russia-Ukraine war
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Getty Images)
Ukraine is at a "critical moment" in the war with Russian occupiers. It is now vital to provide Ukraine's Armed Forces with artillery and air defense systems, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to Reuters.
The US Secretary of State is currently on a visit to France, where he met with Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
"It is absolutely essential to get Ukrainians what they continue to need to defend themselves, particularly when it comes to munitions and air defenses," Blinken said.
He adds that these needs are another reason why the supplementary budget request that President Joe Biden made to the US Congress "must be fulfilled as quickly as possible."
US assistance to Ukraine
The US Congress has been unable to allocate new funding for arms supplies to Ukraine for several months.
The Senate has already passed a bill providing about $60 billion for Ukraine, but the document is stuck in the House of Representatives. The reason for this is Speaker Mike Johnson's position, who refuses to bring the initiative to a vote.
Republican Johnson wants the document to include innovations that may relate to providing assistance on credit terms rather than on a grant basis, as it was before.
Democrats in both houses of Congress have already indicated that they may support the corresponding initiative.
