The US will support Ukraine's return to the border before conflict with Russia breaks out.
(Baonghean.vn) - US Secretary of State Blinken said that the US will support Ukraine's efforts to restore the status quo at the border before the conflict broke out. However, Blinken did not clarify whether the US would accept Ukraine's request to use American weapons to attack deep into Russian territory.
According to TASS news agency on May 23, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the Washington administration supports Ukraine's efforts to return to the border before Russia begins its special military operation.
Speaking at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 22, in response to a question about whether the Pentagon and the White House National Security Council support Kyiv's desire to return to the borders that existed before the start of the war, Secretary of State Blinken affirmed, "Yes."
However, Secretary of State Blinken avoided directly answering the question of whether the U.S. was prepared to comply with Ukraine's demands and lift restrictions on Kyiv's use of U.S. weapons to carry out attacks deep into Russian territory.
US Secretary of State Blinken stated: "Ukraine will make the necessary decisions to defend itself. I want to ensure that they have everything they need to do this."
At the same time, Blinken reiterated that the issue is not simply about the West transferring heavy weapons to Ukraine. The delivery of an F-16 fighter jet or Abrams tank is not enough. The U.S. must ensure that Ukrainian soldiers are trained to use them. Furthermore, according to Blinken, the U.S. needs to ensure that Ukrainian forces are capable of maintaining the operational readiness of that equipment.
Furthermore, Secretary of State Blinken argued that, for Russia, Ukraine's potential accession to NATO "is not a red line." This view, however, drew opposition from members of the House of Representatives, who all agreed that "it is clearly a red line."
Meanwhile, at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jill Hruby, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Energy, said the U.S. is transferring equipment and training to Ukraine in case of a potential nuclear emergency.
"This includes the transfer of equipment, training and technical guidance to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants that remain under Ukrainian control, the protection of critical infrastructure, especially the power grid, providing situational assessment of any nuclear emergencies occurring in the country, and enhancing the emergency preparedness and capabilities of Ukrainian partners to respond to events in the nuclear field," Hruby said.
