US ramps up efforts to support Ukraine, sends officials to Kiev, ex-Soviet states
United States has ramped up its efforts to support Ukraine, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken arriving in Central Asia in an attempt to distance all five former Soviet republics from Russia, just a day after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s reaffirmed US aid to Kiev.
Blinken's visit to the capitals of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday marks his first trip to the region as the Biden administration's top diplomat.
He will meet the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in Astana on Tuesday before heading to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
The trip is reportedly aimed to isolate Russia in the region and expand Washington's regional presence.
In Astana, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told Blinken on Tuesday they have "built very good and reliable long-term partnerships in so many strategically important areas like security, energy, trade and investments."
The US efforts to bolster Ukraine's military amid the raging war also included Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s surprise visit on Monday to the Ukrainian capital in a show of American solidarity with Kiev amid accusations of government corruption.
During her visit, Yellen announced the transfer of $1.25 billion in economic and budget aid to the embattled government in Ukraine.
It is the first installment of nearly $10 billion that Washington is providing Kiev this year as part of a $45 billion aid package approved by the US Congress in December.
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