Blinken says Ukraine promised not to target Russia
Ukraine has promised the United States that it will not use new long-range weapons against targets inside Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. "The Ukrainians have given us assurances that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory," Blinken told a joint news conference with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg. "There is a strong trust bond between Ukraine and the United States, as well as with our allies and partners," he said. The United States said on Tuesday that it will supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems, including the Himars multiple-launch rocket system that can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles. President Joe Biden said that the United States would not support attacks inside of Russia, which quickly warned of greater risks of conflict between Washington and Moscow. Blinken dismissed suggestions that the United States was risking escalation with Russia, which attacked Ukraine in February despite repeated Western warnings. "It is Russia that is attacking Ukraine, not the other way around," Blinken said. "And simply put, the best way to avoid escalation is for Russia to stop the aggression and the war that it started. It's fully within its power to do so." (AFP)