U.S. and U.K. Foreign Ministers Arrive in Kyiv to Reaffirm Support for Ukraine

On Wednesday, September 21, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his British counterpart David Lammy arrived in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, to meet with senior officials of the country during a "critical juncture" in Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion. Mr. Blinken stated that he intends to hear directly from President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials to understand Kyiv's objectives in the war and what Washington can do to assist the country. It is believed that Mr. Zelensky will once again reiterate his request to his allies to lift restrictions on the use of Western weapons, including U.S. long-range ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow's ability to attack Ukraine. Reuters reported, citing Western sources, that the U.S. and U.K. foreign ministers may pressure Ukraine for more information on its strategic objectives before granting this permission. Previously, U.S. President Joe Biden, in response to a question about whether the United States would lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons in the war against Russia, stated that his administration is working on this. Blinken noted that various factors are involved in any decision regarding this matter, including the Ukrainians' ability to effectively use these weapons, which sometimes requires "significant" training. Blinken's visit to Kyiv comes a day after he announced that Russia has received ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic of Iran and warned that Russia is likely to use them in Ukraine within weeks. He cautioned that military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran threatens European security. A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that Washington can verify the delivery of Iranian-made Fateh-360 missiles to Russia. Following this news, the U.S. imposed new sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including against Iran Air, on Tuesday, September 20. Additionally, the U.K., France, and Germany condemned the ballistic missile exports from the Islamic Republic to Russia and announced new sanctions against Iran Air and the suspension of air services to Iran. Ukraine has also indicated that it may sever ties with the Islamic Republic over the missile deliveries to Russia. Simultaneously, Iranian officials have claimed that they have not exported ballistic missiles to Russia, having made similar claims regarding drones sent to Russia previously, despite Ukraine displaying parts of downed drones on its territory. U.S. Secretary of State: The delivery of missiles to Russia during the presidency of Raisi contradicts his claims of improving Iran's economy. Ukraine has not ruled out the possibility of severing relations with the Islamic Republic over missile deliveries to Russia. China announced joint naval and aerial exercises with Russia. The U.S., U.K., France, and Germany are sanctioning Iran Air. Ukraine has conducted its second major drone attack on Russia, closing three airports in Moscow. The U.S. stated it would respond to the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia with "significant consequences." The European Union stated that the delivery of ballistic missiles signifies a significant increase in the Islamic Republic's support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine.