Blinken, Austin to be first top US officials to meet Zelenskyy in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to meet with US officials in the city of Kyiv on Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Zelenskyy said he will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a press conference on Saturday, per the report.
"Tomorrow people from the U.S. are coming, I will meet the defense minister and the secretary of state, Mr. Blinken," Zelenskyy said, according to Bloomberg. "I think, we will be waiting when security will allow the president of the U.S. to come and support Ukraine's people."
Blinken and Austin's plan to go to Kyiv would make them the highest-ranking leaders to visit the country since Russian President Putin launched the full-scale attack in late February.
Last week, Zelenskyy called on President Joe Biden to come to Ukraine, especially as other world leaders including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have visited. However, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan made it clear that Biden currently does not have plans to do so.
"It's his decision, of course. And about the safety situation, it depends. But I think he's the leader of the United States, and that's why he should come here to see," Zelenskyy told CNN.
Former Secret Service agents told Insider that it would be risky and "a logistical nightmare" if Biden took a trip to Ukraine at this time.
Zelenskyy said he will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a press conference on Saturday, per the report.
"Tomorrow people from the U.S. are coming, I will meet the defense minister and the secretary of state, Mr. Blinken," Zelenskyy said, according to Bloomberg. "I think, we will be waiting when security will allow the president of the U.S. to come and support Ukraine's people."
Blinken and Austin's plan to go to Kyiv would make them the highest-ranking leaders to visit the country since Russian President Putin launched the full-scale attack in late February.
Last week, Zelenskyy called on President Joe Biden to come to Ukraine, especially as other world leaders including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have visited. However, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan made it clear that Biden currently does not have plans to do so.
"It's his decision, of course. And about the safety situation, it depends. But I think he's the leader of the United States, and that's why he should come here to see," Zelenskyy told CNN.
Former Secret Service agents told Insider that it would be risky and "a logistical nightmare" if Biden took a trip to Ukraine at this time.
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