Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has paid a visit to the White House and the Pentagon during his official trip to the United States. He met with President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. Defense Express reports the key results of these meetings.
In conclusion of the negotiations with Joe Biden at the White House, the US reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Biden condemned Russia’s illegal move to recognize "independence" of the so-called "LPR" and "DPR" regions in Eastern Ukraine. Later he held a speech, announcing the first wave of "swift and severe" sanctions against Russia:
Read more: Out of Mind Towards War: Putin's Russia Recognized Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine as Independent Entities
"Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbors? This is a flagrant violation of international law, and it demands a firm response from the international community," said President Biden.
"The United States and our Allies and partners remain open to diplomacy if it is serious. When all is said and done, we’re going to judge Russia by its actions, not its words," noted the President.
Following that Ukrainian MoF and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met. Afterward, they held a joint press availability. Blinken accused Russia of violating the Minsk Agreements and a whole number of other international documents: "Minsk Agreements now join a long line of agreements, many legally binding, that President Putin has broken." According to the official, these include the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, the Vienna Document, and the Budapest Memorandum.
"In the past 24 hours alone, with his actions toward Ukraine, President Putin has violated all of these agreements. He is undoing more than 30 years’ worth of painstaking diplomacy by Russia and the countries and institutions of Europe and the North Atlantic region to preserve stability and security for the sake of hundreds of millions of our citizens," noted Antony Blinken, referencing the decisions of Russia to recognize so-called "DPR/LPR" and to invade Russian Armed Forces into those regions.
The official also mentioned he canceled the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov scheduled on February 24th: "The further renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine that has now begun means clearly that the idea of having a meeting this week with Foreign Minister Lavrov to pursue diplomacy – diplomacy now rejected by Russia – does not make sense... So we, our partners remain open to diplomacy, but Moscow needs to demonstrate that it’s serious. The last 24 hours it’s demonstrated just the opposite." Still, Blinken said that the United States is ready to engage in dialogue if Moskow's approach changes.
Ukrainian Minister Kuleba said Ukraine needs action from its partners, not just words: "These days we receive proposals from some countries to condemn Russia’s behavior, to condemn but not follow the condemnation with action. And I would like to say that condemnations are important, but it’s actions that really matter now, these days." During the meeting, he discussed "some very specific ideas", "very concrete steps" by the US with his counterpart Blinken.
The meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was dedicated to the prospects of Ukraine-US cooperation in the military sphere. In particular, they discussed the development of cooperation in the fields of air and missile defense. Lloyd Austin reassured the US unwavering support of Ukraine and commended the efforts made by Ukraine to find a diplomatic solution despite "Russia's aggression, provocations and false accusations."
Kuleba said, "We are not seeking a war. We want to find solutions through diplomacy. But if the war is imposed on us by President Putin, we will be defending ourselves and we will be more than grateful for all the assistance that you can provide to us."
The parties agreed to prolong consultations and contacts at the highest military-political level.
As Defense Express reported, Russia has recently recognized the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics ("DPR/LPR") and entered its Armed Forces into these regions. Although these territories are not currently controlled by the Ukrainian government, they are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, temporarily occupied by Russia-backed illegal military formations. The moves by Russia were widely condemned among the world leaders, including NATO and EU countries.
NATO continues to reinforce its eastern flank with troop deployments to Baltic countries and Poland, and also Bulgaria. Although Ukraine isn't a member of NATO yet, the countries of the alliance support Ukraine with weaponry, military equipment, and other means.
Meanwhile, Russia has concentrated over 150,000 troops along the border of Ukraine – to the east in Russia, to the south in occupied Crimea, and to the north in Belarus – threatening a full-scale invasion. Russian occupiers have intensified shelling in the Donbas region presumably trying to justify its aggression.
Read more: Address by Ukraine's President: Ukraine Qualifies Russia's Latest Actions as a Violation of the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of our State
