U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken crossed the border into Ukraine Saturday after meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the Korczowa Border Crossing Point.
“The entire world stand with Ukraine,” Blinken said, and Kuleba added that he hopes Ukrainians will see this as a “clear manifestation that we have friends who literally stand by us.”
Blinken said the sanctions imposed so far against Russia are “producing very, very concrete results” and that the pressure will “grow” until this “war of choice is brought to an end.”
When asked directly about helping Kuleba with more firepower, Blinken said, “the support for Ukraine not only has been unprecedented, not only is going to continue, it’s going to increase.”
Kuleba said Ukraine “appreciates” sanctions that have been announced in the last week, but that more economic and political pressure and “necessary weapons,” would “save many lives in Ukraine… many sufferings will be avoided.”
Kuleba also said that they are “satisfied” with already arranged supplies of anti-tank weapons and ammunition, but that “it’s no secret” they still want fighter jets and air defense systems.
He also thanked the U.S. for sending stingers, and said they were used on Saturday.
“Just today we shot down three Russian attack aircrafts, which were bombing our cities with the use of stingers but we need — so to say — big air defense systems to ensure the safety of our skies. If we lose the skies, there will be much, much more blood on the ground,”Kuleba said.
In response to questions about NATO’s refusal to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, Kuleba said it’s a “sign of weakness,” but stayed optimistic that they will change their minds.
“The time will come,” he said.
-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan and Justin Gomez