Diplomats return and $713 million aid package - Zelensky meets with Blinken and Austin

Reuters writes about it.

The publication reports that the United States demonstrates support for Ukraine. US officials have pledged $713 million in new aid to the Ukrainian government.

Officials also announced plans to return US embassy employees to Ukraine this week. American diplomats left the Kyiv embassy almost two weeks before February 24, moving some functions to the western city of Lviv, and then moved to Poland.

Officials declined a media request to accompany the secretaries to Ukraine, citing security concerns, and told journalists in Poland that the trip would not be notified until the delegation had safely left Ukraine.

Austin will travel to Germany, where he will meet colleagues from more than 20 countries and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a US air base to discuss Ukraine's defense needs, a Pentagon spokesman said.

Blinken and Austin informed Zelensky of more than $322 million in new foreign military funding for Ukraine, bringing total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine since the invasion to about $3.7 billion. Also, about $400 million in new foreign military funding will also go to 15 other countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Zelensky noted that the visit of a delegation of high-ranking US officials to Kyiv is very valuable and important.

"We discussed with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin defense assistance, strengthening the sanctions policy against Russia, financial support for Ukraine and security guarantees. I am grateful to the United States of America for unprecedented assistance", he added.

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