US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that it was ultimately up to Ukraine to decide when to end the conflict with Russia, but the NATO summit would produce a long-term commitment to support Kiev
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th July, 2023) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that it was ultimately up to Ukraine to decide when to end the conflict with Russia, but the NATO summit would produce a long-term commitment to support Kiev.
"Ultimately the Ukrainians have to decide when to bring this to a close because it's their country. It's their land, it's their future. These are their decisions, but we're committed ... to supporting them for as long as it takes," Blinken said in an interview with NBC.
Blinken emphasized that Russia needs to be disabused of the notion that it can somehow outlast Ukraine, or outlast the many countries around the world that are supporting Ukraine.
The secretary of state also said that the current NATO summit would produce a "deep commitment" to the ongoing support for Ukraine for years to come.
Moreover, Blinken defended US President Biden's decision to provide cluster munitions to the Ukrainian forces, calling it a "stopgap solution" as munitions inventories around the world remained low.
Blinken said there was a difference with the Russian use of cluster munitions, saying Ukraine was defending its territory and would be careful not to target civilians.
