– It is a unique experience to tell the leader of another country that we think it will be invaded. It was my responsibility, says Blinken in an exclusive interview with news. It was in November 2021 that the US Secretary of State met Volodymyr Zelenskyj at the climate summit in Glasgow. The Washington Post calls it a “defining blink of an eye” for Blinken, when he told Ukraine’s president that Russia was going to invade his country “in the immediate future”. – Zelenskyj took it very seriously, very stoically, says Blinken. The US’s main priority at the summit in Vilnius is to secure further support for Ukraine, says Blinken. Photo: FRODE FJERDINGSTAD / news – I wish we were wrong about the information we had. Because the last thing we wanted was war and Russian aggression against Ukraine. We worked very, very hard to prevent that. But that was not possible. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded anyway. The bloody war still has no end in sight. news meets Antony Blinken in Oslo, where he took part in an “informal” meeting this week together with 23 of the other foreign ministers in NATO. As expected, it was the war in Ukraine that topped the agenda. “Not specific enough” Antony Blinken is an experienced diplomat, and not known as a typical career politician. He has still been one of Joe Biden’s most important advisers for many years, including while Democrat Bill Clinton was president. As foreign minister, he has been central in navigating the increasingly tense relationship between the US and China, and in the country’s contribution of weapons and financial support to Ukraine. Biden selected Blinken as his foreign minister in 2021. Photo: Susan Walsh / AP By a large margin, it is the United States that donates the most weapons to the Ukrainian military. The next heavyweights on the list are Great Britain and the EU. Since their conversation in 2021, Zelenskyj has nevertheless criticized the warning to Blinken for not being specific enough. He asked why the US had not earlier sent advanced weapons to the Ukrainian military, if they knew the threat was so serious. Blinken, for its part, believes that the warning to Ukraine and allied countries gave them all an advantage. – Because we saw this coming, we had more time to prepare. Zelenskyj has previously said that he thinks Blinken should be clearer in his warning. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP Diplomat in the White House After the NATO meeting in Oslo, Blinken says to news that long-term support to Ukraine should strengthen two areas: – The best defense for Ukraine is to have as strong a military as possible, in order to effectively deter aggression or defend against it if it comes anyway, and as strong an economy as possible. If Ukraine gets help in these areas and becomes economically integrated into Europe, Blinken predicts a good future for the country. – It will not just survive. It will flourish, and it is the best possible defense against Russian aggression. Blinken in conversation with (from center to right) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt. Photo: Sergei Grits / AP He adds that Nato’s cooperation since the start of the war in Ukraine has shown extraordinary solidarity with the country at war, and interaction between the member states. – We have taken very important steps to strengthen the alliance, in case Russia’s aggression extends beyond Ukraine, says Blinken. – When it comes to the summit in Vilnius, based on the conversation we had today with the foreign ministers, I think we can expect a very robust package of both political and practical support. But I will let the managers come up with the details. Waiting for Sweden to become a member soon Blinken came straight to NATO’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Oslo from Sweden, where he spoke with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson about their application for NATO membership. Sweden still needs formal approval from both Turkey and Hungary before it can formally become a member of the defense alliance. Blinken and Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström took part in a panel debate in Oslo on Thursday. Photo: LISE ASERUD / AFP – It is a strong expectation on my part that this will happen in the coming weeks. – It’s not just us, it’s pretty much every single member of the alliance who wins, says Blinken. This is the first time Antony Blinken is in Norway as foreign minister. The last time an American in this role visited Norway was seven years ago. He has nevertheless met several members of the Norwegian government at NATO events elsewhere in the world. The aircraft carrier visit “underlines partnership” Blinken received questions from news about the aircraft carrier USS “Gerald R. Ford”, which has recently traveled up the Norwegian west coast after dropping anchor in the Oslo Fjord. Going forward, it will take part in several exercises together with the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Norwegian Armed Forces. Researcher at the Naval Academy Tor Ivar Strømmen still believes that it will not go further north than Tromsø. The USS “Gerald R. Ford” was in the Oslofjord until Monday 29 May. Photo: Rune Lind / Rune Lind news – For many Norwegians it seems that the visit gives a feeling of security and partnership, but for others a feeling of insecurity and an unnecessary provocation for a country that borders Russia. What do you want to say to them? – I think it is just a manifestation of the deep security links that have existed between Norway and the USA as close partners and of course NATO allies, says Blinken. – This is a time that is increasingly challenging, in this region and outside it, and we take our duty as an ally very seriously.
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