Topline
The United States will resume diplomatic operations in Ukraine this week and President Joe Biden will nominate a new ambassador to the country on Monday, the U.S. State Department said, in a strong show of support for the Ukrainian government as its military fights a renewed offensive by the invading Russian forces in the east.
Key Facts
Reports of the renewed diplomatic push come after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv on Sunday and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the first high-level U.S. visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion on February 24.
Blinken informed the Ukrainian leadership that U.S. diplomats will be returning to to the country this week, and according to the Washington Post they will initially be based out of the western city of Lviv.
Washington is committed to the return of U.S. diplomats from its embassy in Kyiv “as soon as possible,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in an official statement.
The statement adds that President Biden will nominate Bridget Brink—the current U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia—to be the next ambassador to Ukraine, filling a spot that has been vacant since the 2019 ouster of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch by former president Donald Trump.
Austin told the the country’s leadership that the Pentagon will expand military training for Ukrainian service members and continue to coordinate the shipment of heavy weaponry, ammunition and spare parts.
Blinken and Austin also announced Ukraine will receive $322 million in foreign military financing as part of a larger $713 million aid package for 15 allied nations and partner nations who have supported Kyiv with military supplies.
Speaking to reporters in Poland after returning from Kyiv, Blinken said that in terms of war aims “Russia has already failed and Ukraine has already succeeded.”
Big Number
$3.7 billion. That’s the total amount of military aid Washington has provided to Kyiv since the start of Russia’s invasion—including Sunday’s $713 million aid package. U.S. aid has included several advanced weapons systems like M777 Howitzer Artillery Guns, Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles and Switchblade loitering drones among multiple other items.
Crucial Quote
When asked to outline the U.S. government’s goals in the ongoing conflict, Austin told reporters that Washington wants Ukraine to remain a sovereign, democratic nation and has everything it needs “to win this fight.” He added “We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.”
Key Background
The high-level U.S. diplomatic visit to Kyiv comes after several high-profile European officials have visited the Ukrainian capital, including U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Blinken and Austin’s visit had not been publicly announced by Washington and the plan was supposed to remain a secret. Zelensky, however, made it public a day earlier during a press conference on Saturday.
Further Reading
In Kyiv, Blinken and Austin announce aid, diplomatic surge (Associated Press)
U.S. to resume diplomatic operations in Ukraine (Washington Post)
Top officials tell Ukraine the U.S. will reopen the embassy in Kyiv and nominate an official to lead it. (New York Times)
