Blinken Seeks Common Cause in Poland After Ukraine Jitters

AFP/APP

Warsaw: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Polish leadership on Thursday to discuss ways to support Ukraine amidst increasing concerns over Russian attacks and upcoming US elections.

Blinken arrived in Warsaw after an overnight train journey from Ukraine, where he had made a rare joint solidarity visit with Britain’s new Foreign Secretary, David Lammy.

During his visit, Blinken promised a swift review of Ukraine’s request to extend the range of Western weapons used against Russian targets. This comes as Russia’s alleged acquisition of new short-range Iranian missiles is expected to increase its strike capabilities.

Blinken is also expected to address an appeal made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga for neighboring countries to assist in intercepting missiles over Ukraine’s western region.

US President Joe Biden, who has been cautious about taking actions that might escalate into direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, is scheduled to review Ukraine’s requests on Friday in a White House meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Russia has framed Western support for Ukraine as a further justification for its 2022 invasion of the country, which had been increasingly aligning itself with Western nations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov remarked, “We have no doubt that the decision to lift restrictions on long-range weapons to attack Russian Federation territory was made long ago.”