Three years of reporting, funded by our readers — become a member now and help us prepare for 2025.
Goal: 1,000 new members for our birthday. Gift a membership to your friend and help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Become a member Gift membership
Skip to content
Edit post

Blinken: Allies must 'double down' on defense aid to Ukraine

by Abbey Fenbert April 5, 2024 3:48 AM 1 min read
Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, holds the closing press conference at the NATO headquarters on the second day of the NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers' meeting on April 4, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine's international partners, including the United States, need to redouble their efforts to locate and provide Kyiv with necessary resources as Russia builds up its defense-industrial base, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Brussels on April 4.

Foreign ministers, including Ukraine's Dmytro Kuleba, convened for a two-day summit in Brussels to discuss strategies for increasing security asssistance to Ukraine on NATO's 75th anniversary.

"Based on what I heard today ... everyone, including the United States, is going to double back and, as necessary, double down on finding the resources that Ukraine continues to need," Blinken said.

Blinken also said that the United States was working on its own bilateral security agreement with Ukraine. Kyiv signed security agreements with seven allied countries in 2024 and is currently negotiating 10 other deals.

The summit agenda included options for protecting aid to Kyiv from a potential second Trump presidency, including transferring the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), also known as the Ramstein format, to NATO control.

Kuleba also met with Blinken on April 4 to discuss Ukraine's energy sector, hit hard in recent Russian attacks, and battlefield needs.

Following the meeting, Blinken told reporters that NATO support for Ukraine remains "rock solid."

"Ukraine will become a member of NATO," he said.

NATO will hold a summit in Washington in July, at which the Alliance will "help build a bridge to that membership," Blinken said.  

Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. Thanks to our community we've been able to keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone. For our third birthday, we're looking for 1,000 new members to help fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Three years. Millions of readers. All thanks to 12,000 supporters.
It’s thanks to readers like you that we can celebrate another birthday this November. We’re looking for another 1,000 members to help fund our mission, keep our journalism accessible for all, and prepare for whatever 2025 might bring. Consider gifting a membership today or help us spread the word.
Help us get 1,000 new members!
Become a member Gift membership
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

3:44 PM

Russian ICBM strike would be 'clear escalation,' EU says.

"While we're assessing the full facts, it's obvious that such (an) attack would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of (Russian President Vladimir Putin," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said, according to AFP.
1:40 PM

Merkel describes Trump as 'fascinated by Putin' in her memoir.

"(Donald Trump) saw everything from the point of view of a property developer, which is what he was before he came into politics. Every plot of land could only be sold once, and if he didn't get it, someone else would," Angela Merkel says in her memoir.
11:54 PM

Biden seeks to cancel over $4.5 billion of Ukraine's debt.

"We have taken the step that was outlined in the law to cancel those loans, provide that economic assistance to Ukraine, and now Congress is welcome to take it up if they wish," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Nov. 20.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.