ADDS REMARKS BY BLINKEN, UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER DENYS SHMYHAL ON MEETING
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said there is a need for two more Patriot missile defense systems, ahead of his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who made a surprise visit to Kyiv.
“The second point is air defense. The biggest deficit for us … We need, today, two Patriots for Kharkiv, for (the) Kharkiv region, because there the people are under attack. Civilians, warriors, everybody. They are under (attack by) Russian missiles,” Zelenskyy said.
Expressing that Washington’s $60.8 billion military aid to Ukraine was a crucial, Zelenskyy said the delivery of the aid “as soon as possible” is important.
Last month, US President Joe Biden signed a much-delayed $61 billion aid bill to Ukraine, said to be the largest since Russia's war on Ukraine in February 2022.
Blinken said the military aid for Ukraine is “on the way” in the “near term.”
“Some of it has already arrived. More of it will be arriving. And that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield. And we’re determined, along with many other partners of Ukraine, to make sure that you succeed on the battlefield,” he said.
The US diplomat said they are equally determined to make sure Ukraine “stands strongly on its own feet” in military, economic and political terms.
“A strong, successful, thriving, free Ukraine is the best possible rebuke to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and the best possible guarantor for your future. And for all of that, the United States is and will remain a committed partner,” he added.
In a post on X, Blinken said he told Zelenskyy that "the US has been by Ukraine's side from day one, and we will stay by your side."
Blinken later held talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and said they discussed efforts to support Ukraine's "defense, recovery, and reconstruction," according to a separate post on X.
Shmyhal wrote on X that they discussed the next package of military aid totaling $400 million.
"I stressed the need to strengthen air defense. We also focused on implementing reforms in #Ukraine, attracting investment and confiscating russian assets. I thanked the US for their strong support," he added.