During a meeting in Paris with French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecorne, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken emphasized ongoing cooperation with Europe to support Ukraine and called on the US Congress to support Ukraine, which is at a "crucial moment" and to pass an additional budget request that will allow the US to send more resources to Ukraine. Blinken's words are quoted by Reuters, UNN reports.
Ukraine, which many predicted would fall in a matter of days, continues to be strong. But we are at a critical moment when it is extremely important for Ukrainians to get what they need to protect themselves, especially in terms of ammunition and air defense. So, there is a short-term problem that we are working together on. That's another reason why the supplemental budget request that President Biden has made to Congress should be implemented as soon as possible.
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Blinken and Sébastien Lecornu met at the Nexter Defense Systems hangar in Paris, where they were shown military equipment and ammunition that France is sending to Ukraine.
Blinken emphasized the amount of resources that France and Europe have already provided to Ukraine. He added that as a result of these events, Europe has become less dependent on Russian energy resources, and the NATO alliance has become stronger, with two more members joining this year.
Together, as much as the United States has provided, our European partners and other partners far beyond Europe, because of the global nature of this challenge, have provided even more. But even as we have achieved all of this, and even as Russia has suffered what I believe to be a strategic disaster in Ukraine, it is weaker militarily, it is weaker economically, it is weaker diplomatically, Ukraine is more united than ever before, Europe is free of its dependence on Russian energy, and our NATO alliance is both stronger and now two members larger."
On the same day , French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejourne said that France intends to seek the adoption of sanctions against Russian companies involved in disinformation at the European level.
I propose to establish a sanctions regime against those who support the disinformation regime.
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Blinken is also expected to meet with French Foreign Minister Cephane Séjourne and French President Emmanuel Macron before heading to Brussels for a NATO ministerial meeting on Wednesday (April 3).