KYIV: The United States and Britain on Wednesday committed to nearly $1.5 billion in support for Ukraine and promised to consider quickly requests to ease restrictions on weapons to strike deeper into Russia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy paid the rare joint visit to Kyiv in a show of solidarity as concerns mount.
Russia’s alleged acquisition of new short-range Iranian missiles threatens to ramp up Moscow’s firepower and the US election in less than two months could dramatically shift the stance of Ukraine’s top backer.
Blinken, who took a nine-hour train ride to Kyiv alongside Lammy, said the United States would offer $717 million in new economic help to Ukraine.
About half of it will consist of US support to strengthen Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, which has been pounded by Russia just as winter sets in.
Blinken accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dusting off “his winter playbook” to “weaponize the cold against the Ukrainian people.”
“Our support will not wane, our unity will not break,” Blinken told a joint news conference in Kyiv.
“Putin will not outlast the coalition of countries committed to Ukraine’s success, and he is certainly not going to outlast the Ukrainian people.”
Lammy recommitted his two-month-old Labour government to providing 600 billion pounds ($782 million) in economic assistance to Ukraine.
He said that Britain, which has consistently pushed to ease restrictions on Ukraine’s use of weapons, would provide hundreds of new air defense missiles to Ukraine this year.
Russia has been advancing on the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, a month after Kyiv launched a shock counter-offensive into Russia’s Kursk region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has ramped up his requests over recent months to the West to provide weapons with more firepower and fewer restrictions.
“It is important to lift any restrictions on the use of US and British weapons against legitimate military targets in Russia,” Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga told the joint conference with his counterparts, who earlier met Zelensky.
Blinken said that the United States would look at the requests “with urgency” and that they would be discussed Friday in Washington when President Joe Biden meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Biden, asked in Washington on Tuesday whether he would let Ukraine use longer-range weapons for strikes on Russian targets, said: “We’re working that out right now.”
Biden, while strongly supportive of Ukraine, has previously made clear he wants to avoid devolving into direct conflict between the United States and Russia, the world’s two leading nuclear powers.
Asked how Moscow would respond to expanded missile ranges, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday the response “will be appropriate,” without providing specific details.
He said the authorization of Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory would serve as “further proof” of why Moscow launched its offensive, which he said was itself an “answer” to the West’s support for Ukraine.
The United States said it believes that Russia could start firing short-range Iranian-made missiles into Ukraine within weeks.
Cash-strapped Iran went ahead with the sale of the missiles despite repeated warnings from Western powers, which on Tuesday announced new sanctions on the cleric-run state.
The Iranian shipments have raised fears that Moscow would be freed up to use its long-range missiles against comparatively unscathed areas in western Ukraine.
The United States earlier this year gave its blessing for Ukraine to use Western weapons to hit Russian forces when in direct conflict across the border.
British media reports said Biden was set to end objections to letting Ukraine fire long-range Storm Shadow missiles into Russia.
One key ask by Ukraine is to loosen restrictions on US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, which can hit targets up to 300 kilometers (190 miles) away.
Both Republican and Democratic members of Congress have pushed Biden to move quickly on the ATACMS immediately.
Republicans, however, are deeply divided over Ukraine, and a victory in November by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over Biden’s political heir Kamala Harris could dramatically shift US policy.
Trump aides have suggested that if he wins, he would leverage aid to force Kyiv into territorial concessions to Russia to end the war.
At a debate on Tuesday with Harris, Trump — who in the past has voiced admiration for Putin — notably did not say he wanted Ukraine to win, only that he wanted to end the war quickly.
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US, UK pledge economic aid for Ukraine, quick action on arms requests
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US, UK pledge economic aid for Ukraine, quick action on arms requests
- “Our support will not wane, our unity will not break,” Blinken told a joint news conference in Kyiv
- President Volodymyr Zelensky has ramped up his requests over recent months to the West to provide weapons with more firepower and fewer restrictions
In Puerto Rico, fans thrilled with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show
- In the town square in Vega Baja, a small municipality near Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, retired teacher Madeline Miranda was bubbling with excitement after watching Bad Bunny perform at the Super
VEGA BAJA: In the town square in Vega Baja, a small municipality near Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, retired teacher Madeline Miranda was bubbling with excitement after watching Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl.
After all, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was once one of her former students, and years away from becoming a global superstar.
“I danced, I screamed, I swore and I gave it my all,” said the 75-year-old Miranda, who joined about 100 other people to watch the performance by Vega Baja’s most famous native son.
People of all ages turned out, many of them bringing beach chairs — and drinks — to wait for the big moment.
Vega Baja is not exactly a place where American football is all that popular, and few of those present really paid attention to the game, which the Seattle Seahawks won over the New England Patriots.
Bad Bunny was the only show in town.
When he finally appeared on screen singing one of his biggest hits, “Titi Me Pregunto,” the crowd shrieked with joy. Some waved Puerto Rican flags and others clapped.
The party had begun.
“I feel so proud that someone from Vega Baja has reached such heights. This shows that our presence is growing stronger in the United States and around the world,” David Fontanez, a 66-year-old retiree, told AFP.
Other watch parties took place in Old San Juan.
’Great inspiration’
Bad Bunny’s performance celebrated Puerto Rico, a US island territory in the Caribbean — from the lyrics of his songs to his set design featuring sugar cane and his salmon-colored “La Casita” (little house). Fans cheered each reference.
He also made history as the first Super Bowl headliner to sing entirely in Spanish. A week ago, he became the first performer to win the Grammy for Album of the Year for a Spanish-language work.
For 14-year-old Pedro Melendez Barrio, the singer is a “great inspiration” for those who live in Vega Baja.
“He makes me feel very proud and also very happy. I think that if he has achieved all this, I can achieve this too. That really motivates me.”
Many said they were grateful to the 31-year-old Bad Bunny for championing his homeland.
Last year, he completed a wildly successful concert residency in San Juan, giving the island a major economic boost as fans flocked to see him.
“He brought to the Super Bowl the essence of what we, Puerto Ricans, are,” said Miranda, who remembers young Benito as a “very quiet and disciplined” child.
“He’s a great ambassador for this community.”
Some Puerto Ricans made mention of the conservative backlash that Bad Bunny faced after he was named as the halftime show headliner, largely due to the fact that he sings in Spanish.
Indeed, after the show, US President Donald Trump suggested that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
But most said what was more important was Bad Bunny’s ability to amplify the voice of Puerto Ricans, who are US citizens but do not have the right to vote for president.
“He has reflected a lot of our culture (in his work), what’s happening in Puerto Rico, and the situation of immigrants,” Madeline Garcia, 31, said after the show.
“We ignore the controversy because, whether they like it or not, we’re also part of the United States. And even if our language is Spanish, most Puerto Ricans speak English.”
After all, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was once one of her former students, and years away from becoming a global superstar.
“I danced, I screamed, I swore and I gave it my all,” said the 75-year-old Miranda, who joined about 100 other people to watch the performance by Vega Baja’s most famous native son.
People of all ages turned out, many of them bringing beach chairs — and drinks — to wait for the big moment.
Vega Baja is not exactly a place where American football is all that popular, and few of those present really paid attention to the game, which the Seattle Seahawks won over the New England Patriots.
Bad Bunny was the only show in town.
When he finally appeared on screen singing one of his biggest hits, “Titi Me Pregunto,” the crowd shrieked with joy. Some waved Puerto Rican flags and others clapped.
The party had begun.
“I feel so proud that someone from Vega Baja has reached such heights. This shows that our presence is growing stronger in the United States and around the world,” David Fontanez, a 66-year-old retiree, told AFP.
Other watch parties took place in Old San Juan.
’Great inspiration’
Bad Bunny’s performance celebrated Puerto Rico, a US island territory in the Caribbean — from the lyrics of his songs to his set design featuring sugar cane and his salmon-colored “La Casita” (little house). Fans cheered each reference.
He also made history as the first Super Bowl headliner to sing entirely in Spanish. A week ago, he became the first performer to win the Grammy for Album of the Year for a Spanish-language work.
For 14-year-old Pedro Melendez Barrio, the singer is a “great inspiration” for those who live in Vega Baja.
“He makes me feel very proud and also very happy. I think that if he has achieved all this, I can achieve this too. That really motivates me.”
Many said they were grateful to the 31-year-old Bad Bunny for championing his homeland.
Last year, he completed a wildly successful concert residency in San Juan, giving the island a major economic boost as fans flocked to see him.
“He brought to the Super Bowl the essence of what we, Puerto Ricans, are,” said Miranda, who remembers young Benito as a “very quiet and disciplined” child.
“He’s a great ambassador for this community.”
Some Puerto Ricans made mention of the conservative backlash that Bad Bunny faced after he was named as the halftime show headliner, largely due to the fact that he sings in Spanish.
Indeed, after the show, US President Donald Trump suggested that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
But most said what was more important was Bad Bunny’s ability to amplify the voice of Puerto Ricans, who are US citizens but do not have the right to vote for president.
“He has reflected a lot of our culture (in his work), what’s happening in Puerto Rico, and the situation of immigrants,” Madeline Garcia, 31, said after the show.
“We ignore the controversy because, whether they like it or not, we’re also part of the United States. And even if our language is Spanish, most Puerto Ricans speak English.”
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