Top U.S. officials make trip to Ukraine
KBTX’s Chief White House Correspondent Jon Decker joined First News at Four to discuss “surprising” comments made by Austin while on the visit.
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Kyiv to reinforce U.S. support and to announce that U.S. diplomats would be returning to Ukraine.
KBTX’s Chief White House Correspondent Jon Decker joined First News at Four to discuss “surprising” comments made by Austin while on the visit.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he hoped the war in Ukraine would result in a “weakened” Russia.
According to Decker this is “the kind of rhetoric that certainly wouldn’t be used by [Blinken],” as it will not “tamp down what we are seeing take place right now in terms of the difficult relationship that exists between the U.S. and Russia.”
The two top U.S. officials made the trip to Ukraine for more than just “the symbolism of having this visit, they also brought some substantial offerings as well,” said Decker.
They announced $700 million of new military equipment to be given to Ukraine, including $150 million worth of new ammunition.
President Biden made the announcement that the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv will re-open soon. Veteran diplomat Bridget Brink was also named as the new U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, filling a position that was vacant for nearly three years.
But, don’t expect President Biden to come to Ukraine anytime soon.
“To travel to Ukraine like the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense did over the weekend, you first have to fly to Warsaw, Poland and then take a train for about a four-hour train ride from Warsaw to Kyiv. That’s the type of thing that makes the Secret Service nervous,” explained Decker.
Watch the full interview in the player above for more.
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