US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on the border between Poland and Ukraine, invaded by Russian troops for ten days.
Blinken and Kuleba met for 45 minutes, under heavy security, at a border point through which thousands of refugees pass.
Both discussed sending weapons to Ukraine and mechanisms to increase pressure on Moscow.
“I hope that people in Ukraine will be able to see this as a clear demonstration that we have friends who are by our side,” Kuleba said, after their meeting at the Korczowa-Krakovets border post.
Ukraine “will prevail,” Blinken said.
“It is no secret to anyone that our most important request is about fighters, assault planes and air defense systems,” Kuleba said.
“We need air defense systems that guarantee the safety of our skies. If we lose the skies, there will be a lot more blood on the ground,” he added.
He also criticized NATO’s refusal to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine, justified by the risk that it could degenerate into a “total war”, according to the Atlantic Alliance.
“It seems to me a sign of weakness,” lamented Kuleba, who maintained that “the Ukrainian people will pay the price” of this decision.
The Ukrainian minister appreciated the coordination to adopt important sanctions against Russia, but expressed his fear that these measures will be applied with reluctance in order to avoid an economic impact on the Western countries themselves.
