Secretary of State Antony Blinken Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine as US Gov Dumps More Military Aid Into the Country

On September 8, 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

The day Blinken made the surprise visit, the United States government approved an additional $2.7 billion military aid to Ukraine and the US’s NATO allies.

According to a report by Press TV, Blinken made this visit in secret, which marked the second time that he made a visit to Kiev since Russia launched its military incursion into Ukraine on February 24. Blinken met with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

While Blinken made his trip to Kiev, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with public officials of NATO member states at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany. At this meeting, Austin discussed how the Collective West would continue supporting Ukraine. In addition, he announced the most recent military aid pack being sent to Ukraine.

This recent military package consists of $675 million in ammunition, arms, and supplies  that will be sent shortly to Ukraine. On top of that, $1 billion in longer-term grants and loans were sent to Ukraine to buy additional American equipment. Similarly, an equivalent amount of grants and loans were sent to countries that are supposedly “threatened” by Russia.

According to an AFP report that cited an unnamed US State Department official, Blinken made Congress aware of the $2 billion“to bolster the security of Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including… many of our NATO allies as well as other regional security partners who are most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression.”

Thus far in the fiscal year that ended in June, Washington has already greenlit $4 billion in grants and loans to Ukraine and its neighbors.

At a meeting that took place on September 8, Austin asserted that the US’s military aid directed to Ukraine is beginning to yield results on the battlefield.

“Now, we’re seeing the demonstrable success of our common efforts on the battlefield,” he stated. Austin alluded to recent counter-offensives that Ukrainian forces launched in southern Ukraine as an example of the progress Ukraine is making.

On September 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that there was “good news” taking place on the front in eastern Ukraine. He asserted that Ukrainian forces had recaptured several towns and villages from Russian control.

In this statement, Zelensky claimed that Ukrainian military units liberated scores of settlements in the Kharkov region in a highly anticipated counter-offensive.

“This week we have good news from Kharkov Oblast. All of you have most likely seen reports about the recent activities of Ukrainian defenders. And I think every [Ukrainian] citizen feels proud of our warriors.”

US foreign policy elites will play up supposed gains by the Ukrainians to justify even larger wads of aid being sent to Ukraine. In all honesty, the outcome of this conflict should be of no interest to the US. This is a geopolitical struggle that does not pose an existential threat to it.

Too bad DC doesn’t get that. Especially Republicans who are supposedly against “never-ending” wars. It’s going to take a genuine America First uprising for real change to happen on foreign policy matters.

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