US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called the war against Ukraine waged by russian dictator putin a strategic failure of russia.
Speaking in Finland, which recently joined NATO, Blinken noted that the russian leader failed to achieve his goals in Ukraine.
He said that the invasion has weakened russia diplomatically, economically and militarily. At the same time, the war against Ukraine has strengthened the very alliances that moscow sought to weaken – NATO and the European Union.
Blinken noted that russia is now in a much worse position than before the start of the full-scale war with Ukraine.
"Where putin wanted to demonstrate strength, he showed weakness. Where he planned to divide, he united," the US Secretary of State said.
Blinken warned against any peace initiatives that could help legitimize russia's seizure of Ukraine's territory. According to him, a prerequisite for the start of negotiations between Kyiv and moscow should be a strong Ukraine capable of defending itself against any aggression.
"Although putin failed to achieve his goals, he did not abandon them. He is convinced that he will last longer than Ukraine and its supporters. In this, putin is also wrong. The United States, along with our allies and partners, is firmly committed to supporting Ukraine's defense – today, tomorrow, for as long as it takes. And precisely because we have no illusions about putin's aspirations, we believe that a stronger Ukraine is a prerequisite for meaningful diplomacy and the real world," the US Secretary of State emphasized.
He noted that Ukraine can expect a serious aid package at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
Background. As a reminder, WP published an article saying that the White House is no longer afraid of "red lines" and is providing Ukraine with new types of weapons. The Biden administration has realized that the kremlin's threats are fake, experts say.