Antony Blinken, the US’s top diplomat, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy will visit Ukraine together this week to support the country in its ongoing conflict with Russia, which both men have described as a “critical moment”. During talks in London, the two diplomats discussed topics such as the situation in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as sanctions against Russia and its allies. The visit is being celebrated by British diplomats as a reaffirmation of the “special relationship” between the UK and the US. Blinken’s trip also precedes Keir Starmer’s second visit to the White House on Friday.
During the news conference, Blinken stated that the UK and US were prioritizing security assistance to Ukraine, which has been the site of creeping Russian territorial gains in eastern Ukraine and an elusive ceasefire in Gaza. Russia is said to be continuing to escalate its war, thus terming it necessary for the West to demonstrate its support for Ukraine. Blinken revealed that their goal for the trip was to “hear directly from the Ukrainian leadership” about what they hoped to achieve and how their needs could be supported. However, neither Blinken nor Lammy provided details on possible methods of boosting military aid to Ukraine.
The diplomats did have harsh words for China, North Korea, and Iran, which they accused of providing military assistance to Russia. Blinken stated that the US would be imposing new sanctions on Iran and accused the country of shipping ballistic missiles to Russia, which he claimed the country would use in the coming weeks in its war in Ukraine. He also accused Russia of sharing technology with Iran on nuclear-related issues.
The UK government announced last week that it would be sending £3bn in military support to Ukraine for as long as it needs, and hundreds more short-range missiles were also to be sent to Ukraine in a package worth £162m. However, the US remains the largest supplier of arms to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the pace of weapons deliveries during the recent summit in Germany and requested authorisation to strike targets deep inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles.
The situation in Ukraine necessitates urgent talks in Kyiv, and Blinken and Lammy are likely to be pressed for their perspective on allowing Ukraine to use its weapons to attack Russia. Blinken refused to be drawn on whether they would acquiesce to President Zelensky’s longstanding plea. While the UK and US are broadly aligned on Ukraine, there are disagreements on Gaza. The UK decided to suspend some arms export licenses to Israel over equipment that could be used in Gaza, a move that the US has refrained from following. Blinken made a striking statement about Israel’s military, saying it needed to make “fundamental changes” after a US-Turkish activist was shot dead during a protest in the occupied West Bank last week
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