US to pledge ongoing support for Ukraine at NATO meet

The top State Department official for Europe stated on Monday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will emphasise this week the NATO alliance’s continuous support for Ukraine in its struggle with Russia in Europe, even though the Biden administration’s attention is still primarily focused on the Gaza conflict.

There are worries that Washington may not be able to continue providing Ukraine with the same degree of military and diplomatic support that it has since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, given the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Reporters were also informed by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien that Blinken, who left for Brussels on Monday, will emphasise the continued dedication of the US and its partners as he embarks on the first foreign minister-level meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Brussels.

The U.S. Congress is debating a request for additional cash for Ukraine’s defence alongside military aid to Israel and Taiwan, and O’Brien stated that the Biden administration was sure that continuing military help for Ukraine had bipartisan support.

When asked about a story published in the German tabloid Bild alleging that Germany and the US were subtly pressuring Kyiv to enter talks with Moscow, O’Brien said that Washington did not have such a policy.

According to O’Brien, Blinken will also represent the United States at an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting this week in Skopje, North Macedonia.

(With agency inputs)