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Blinken wraps up Ukraine-focused Europe trip in Poland with arms requests on the table

Polish Foreign Minister Rados艂aw Sikorski, right, welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, for talks in Warsaw, Poland on Sept. 12, 2024. (Czarek Sokolowski / AP Photo) Polish Foreign Minister Rados艂aw Sikorski, right, welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, for talks in Warsaw, Poland on Sept. 12, 2024. (Czarek Sokolowski / AP Photo)
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WARSAW -

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a three-nation, Ukraine-focused European tour in Poland after hearing repeated appeals from Ukrainian officials to use western-supplied weaponry for long-range strikes inside Russia.

Blinken travelled to Warsaw on Thursday after spending a day in Kyiv with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during which they pledged to bring the Ukrainian requests to their leaders.

U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are to meet in the United States on Friday amid signs both Washington and London are growing more receptive to allowing the Ukrainians to use their arms to hit targets farther inside Russia than previously okayed.

NATO member Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine, has been supportive of the Ukrainians and Blinken is likely to hear further requests for easing weapons-use restrictions from Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski.

On Wednesday, Blinken and Lammy announced that the United States and Britain had pledged nearly US$1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine during their visit to Kyiv. Blinken announced more than US$700 million in humanitarian aid, while Lammy confirmed that his country would provide another US$782 million in assistance and loan guarantees.

Much of the effort was aimed at bolstering the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter.

Ukraine's wish list is long and non-military assistance is certainly on it, but Ukrainian officials made clear their most important ask is for easing restrictions on where western weapons can be used. Air-raid sirens sounded repeatedly during the visit, causing delays in their schedule and forcing them to cancel a wreath-laying ceremony.

Blinken said he would bring the discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the missiles 鈥渂ack to Washington to brief the president鈥 and that Biden and Starmer will 鈥渘o doubt鈥 talk about the issue when they meet in Washington.

鈥淎s what Russia鈥檚 doing has changed as the battlefield has changed, we鈥檝e adapted," Blinken said at a news conference in Warsaw, speaking alongside Sikorski.

鈥淥ne of the purposes of my visit to Kyiv yesterday was to hear from our Ukrainian partners what they believe they need now to deal with the current battlefield, including in eastern Ukraine and other parts of the country," he said. "I can tell you that as we go forward we will do exactly what we have already done, which is we will adjust as necessary 鈥 in order to defend against Russian aggression.鈥

He delivered a similar message in Kyiv a day earlier. In both cases, the language was similar to that which he used in May, shortly before the U.S. green-lit Ukrainian use of U.S. weapons just inside Russian territory.

The diplomatic visit unfolded as Russia鈥檚 bigger and better-equipped army bears down on Ukraine鈥檚 eastern Donetsk region and conducts aerial attacks on cities across the country using missiles, glide bombs and drones that claim many civilian casualties.

But relations between Ukraine and its western partners have been increasingly strained by Kyiv鈥檚 repeated appeals for the West鈥檚 authorization to use long-range weapons from the United States and other allies to strike targets deeper inside Russia.

That issue took on added urgency after Russia鈥檚 latest reported acquisition of ballistic missiles from Iran, but western leaders have so far balked at Ukraine鈥檚 request, fearing that, if granted, it could escalate the war.

Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defence, but has largely limited the distance they can be fired.

Zelenskyy said he hoped for changes to those limitations.

鈥淟et鈥檚 count on some strong decisions, at least,鈥 he said. 鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 very important.鈥

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