This is the first time that the Ukrainian president has met with representatives of the American administration since the beginning of the war launched by Russia.
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A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken and US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin was held in kyiv on Sunday April 24, according to the Ukrainian presidency. “The Americans are in kyiv today. They are talking to the president right now”declared, in an interview broadcast in the evening on Youtube, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, Oleksiï Arestovitch.
This is the first meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the American administration in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24. “The friendship and collaboration between Ukraine and the United States is stronger than ever”then welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky on Twitter, without giving further details on the content of the meeting.
Two months of heroic national resistance of to the Russian aggression have passed. I’m grateful to @POTUS and the people of for leadership in supporting . Today the Ukrainian people are united and strong, and – friendship and partnership are stronger than ever! https://t.co/5KzjLDJLVO
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 24, 2022
The discussions were to focus in particular on the supply of American arms to Ukraine. Oleksii Arestovitch repeated on Youtube the desire of kyiv to be delivered “offensive weapons” : “As long as we can’t counter-attack, there will be a ‘new Boutcha’ every day”he launched, alluding to this city in the north-western suburbs of kyiv which has become a symbol of the atrocities committed during the Russian occupation of the region in March. “The American representatives wouldn’t come here if they weren’t ready to give [des armes]”he estimated.
The day before, Volodymyr Zelensky had said to himself “grateful” to the American administration for the assistance provided to Ukraine, even if he had reiterated his desire to obtain “even heavier and more powerful weapons” to face the Russian army. Oleksiï Arestovitch also specified that “the lines of defense were on the verge of collapsing” in Mariupol, a city largely under the control of the Russian army and where the last Ukrainian fighters are entrenched, with civilians, in the immense Azovstal metallurgical complex.