Topline
An advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Sunday that Zelensky met in Kyiv with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, according to the Associated Press, marking the highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Ukraine’s capital city since Russia invaded the country in February.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, embraces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, … [+]
Key Facts
Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Zelensky, said on Ukrainian television late Sunday that the meeting between Zelensky and the U.S. officials is happening “right now,” according to the AP.
The U.S. Defense and State Departments have still yet to confirm the meeting, which was first announced by Zelensky during a press conference Saturday (White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said last week if a U.S. official visits Ukraine, “it’s not something we would announce in advance” due to security concerns).
Crucial Quote
Shortly after Arestovych confirmed the meeting in Kyiv, Zelensky tweeted the “friendship and partnership” between the U.S. and Ukraine are “stronger than ever.”
What To Watch For
If the U.S. reopens its embassy in Kyiv, which was moved to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and later to Poland leading up to Russia’s invasion. More than a dozen countries, including the United Kingdom, have reopened their Kyiv embassies or shared plans to do so in recent weeks. The Biden Administration is torn on if and when to reopen the embassy, Politico reports.
Further Reading
Zelensky Will Meet With U.S Officials Blinken, Austin In Kyiv (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/04/24/us-officials-austin-and-blinken-are-in-kyiv-zelensky-advisor-confirms/