Zelenskyy shares key topics for talks with US Secretary of State: Air defense and Peace Summit
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The main topics of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be the supply of arms to Ukraine, primarily air defense systems, the Ukraine-US security agreement, and preparations for the June Peace Summit, Zelenskyy says ahead of his meeting with Blinken, RBC-Ukraine correspondent reports.
"Air defense systems are the biggest deficit for us. We need two Patriots for the Kharkiv region," Zelenskyy said.
In turn, Secretary of State Blinken says that part of the American aid from the latest package approved by Congress has already arrived in Ukraine, while part is still on the way and will "make a difference."
He adds that there are a number of critical issues in the coming months, and the US and Ukraine, along with many other partners, want to make sure that these next months are successful, as there are challenges to overcome together.
The President of Ukraine also expressed hope that the United States would help attract as many countries as possible to participate in the Peace Summit.
Blinken's visit to Kyiv
This morning, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit. According to Reuters, the purpose of his trip is to demonstrate the United States' solidarity with Ukraine.
Blinken's visit comes at a time when Russian troops have launched a new offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region after being pushed out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022 as part of a counteroffensive. Also, Blinken's trip comes just weeks after US President Joe Biden signed a long-awaited aid package for Ukraine worth more than $60 billion. Since then, the United States has already provided Kyiv with a $400 million military package, including Patriot and NASAMS missiles. In addition, the White House has promised a new military aid package for Ukraine in the coming days.
This is Blinken's fourth visit to Ukraine since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion. Besides Zelenskyy, he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
