US reiterates support for Ukraine amid uncertainty over Trump stance

Russia rains missiles connected Kyiv arsenic US Secretary of State Blinken pledges Biden authorities will do what it tin for Ukraine earlier leaving office.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged to fortify support for Ukraine earlier nan extremity of Joe Biden’s presidency successful January.

The apical US diplomat made nan committedness during a sojourn to Brussels connected Wednesday, amid ongoing uncertainty complete nan stance of President-elect Donald Trump connected Ukraine’s conflict pinch Russia and nan wider NATO alliance. Shortly earlier Blinken spoke, Russia launched a barrage of missiles connected Kyiv for nan first clip successful months.

The outgoing management successful Washington will “continue to statement up everything we’re doing for Ukraine” successful nan months earlier Trump assumes nan presidency again, Blinken said.

“President Biden afloat intends to thrust done nan portion and usage each time to proceed to do what we person done these past 4 years, which is fortify this alliance,” Blinken said arsenic he met NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

He besides pledged a “firm response” to nan deployment of North Korean troops wrong Russia to thief push backmost Ukraine’s violative successful Kursk.

Rutte said “Russia has not won” and that nan Western subject confederation will “have to do much to make judge that Ukraine tin enactment successful nan fight” and push Moscow’s forces back.

Blinken besides met NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Christopher Cavoli, on pinch apical officials from nan European Union and nan United Kingdom.

Russia rains missiles connected Kyiv

The renewed expressions of support from Ukraine’s Western friends came hours aft Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones against Kyiv.

Although drones person targeted Kyiv for weeks, Ukrainian officials said it was nan first rocket onslaught connected nan superior since August.

Air defences intercepted 2 incoming cruise missiles, 2 ballistic missiles and 37 drones crossed nan country, Ukraine’s aerial unit said. No casualties aliases awesome harm were reported successful Kyiv.

Falling debris was reported successful nan region extracurricular nan capital, however, injuring a 48-year-old man and causing a occurrence astatine a warehouse, according to nan caput of Kyiv’s location administration.

Previous attacks connected nan superior and different areas of Ukraine person targeted subject installations and power infrastructure, pinch interest rising that nan state could look different acold wintertime of powerfulness shortages.

Following Wednesday’s strike, grid usability Ukrenergo said it would limit energy proviso for businesses owed to “significantly” little powerfulness imports and generation.

Private powerfulness shaper and supplier DTEK said restrictions would use to nan capital, nan surrounding region and nan regions of Odesa, Dnipro and Donetsk.

While North Korean soldiers are reported to beryllium joining nan fighting successful Kursk, Russian troops are gradually pushing guardant connected nan beforehand statement successful eastbound Ukraine.

Trump said during campaigning that he would quickly extremity nan war even earlier assuming agency successful January.

His vice president-designate, JD Vance, has suggested Washington would beryllium successful favour of holding nan “current statement of demarcation betwixt Russia and Ukraine”.

Kyiv and friends fearfulness that it could look demands from Trump to cede territory aliases suffer captious US support.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies