Secretary Blinken’s Remarks in Kiev, Ukraine

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kiev, Ukraine

September 11, 2024

Secretary Blinken: I would like to express my gratitude to Andrii for his hospitality and for arranging the productive meetings we had today.

I was pleased that David Lammy had the opportunity to meet with President Zelenskyy and other officials. The Foreign Secretary and I came to Ukraine today to hear directly from our partners about how we can continue to work together to help Ukraine defend its people and territory as Putin continues his vicious war of aggression, transition from fall combat to winter, and continue to help Ukraine become a strong, independent nation over the long term.

We will report what we learn to President Biden and to the Prime Minister. In a few days, the two of them will meet in Washington to discuss how our two countries can continue to support Ukraine. We will also report this to the many countries that support Ukraine and seek their further support. In a week or two, we will be at the United Nations General Assembly. We will be talking to NATO, the G7, the countries that have bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, and many allies and partners.

Commitment to Ukraine’s Success

It is essential that our voice continues to be heard directly by the Ukrainian people: we remain steadfast in our commitment to helping Ukraine prevail – not only to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself today, but that it is militarily, economically, and democratically victorious long into the future; and that the Ukrainian people can move forward on the path they have chosen, further integrating into the Euro-Atlantic community, including the EU and NATO, and achieving a just and lasting peace.

Our goal is to see Ukraine win, and we are deeply committed to continuing to provide the brave warriors and citizens of Ukraine with the support they need to achieve that goal.

International Support for Ukraine

Support for Ukraine will continue because it is not dependent on any one country, any one party, or any one election. Today, the United States and the United Kingdom are united in our support for Ukraine’s success. We are also united with dozens of other countries, including an enduring coalition of more than 50 nations that have provided more than $100 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since February 2022 and continue to provide significant support to Ukraine today.

Our message to Putin – our message together – is clear: Our support will not weaken; our unity will not break. Putin will not bring down the coalition of nations committed to Ukraine’s success, and he certainly will not bring down the Ukrainian people, who have never wavered in their conviction that they alone can determine their own future.

Ukraine’s Progress and Challenges

Ukraine has made significant progress on every key goal since I was last here in May. They have made advances militarily, building a strong, durable deterrent and defense against aggression. At the July summit, we declared that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership was irreversible. For the first time, NATO has established a command dedicated to Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

The last time I was here, nine countries had signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. Now, that number is 26 and growing, including, of course, the United States and the United Kingdom. This will provide a foundation of support for Ukraine’s defense for years to come. Ukraine’s defense industrial base has grown sixfold in the last year alone. In the coming years, this will allow Ukraine to have one of the most advanced defense industries in the world and be able to take it to the global market, taking global market share from countries like Russia while also providing products to NATO allies.

Ukraine is making economic progress. We have been taking steps to make it easier for investors and companies to do business in Ukraine. For example, we recently worked with the private sector to announce a first-of-its-kind $350 million war risk reinsurance facility. This will make it easier for companies to invest even during war.

Ukraine continues to make progress in deepening democracy, with important steps including the recent passage by the Ukrainian Parliament (Rada) of a law reforming financial crime oversight, increasing the number of judges in anti-corruption courts, and prosecuting high-profile corruption cases.

Conclusion

The unwavering commitment of the Ukrainian people is one of the main reasons why we are confident that Ukraine will continue to move forward. No matter how great the obstacles in the way, Ukrainians have proven time and again that nothing can stop a people committed to creating their own future.