02:12Credit: US Department of State
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine 'has what it needs to stand on its own feet', as he met with the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the start of the NATO Summit in Washington DC on Tuesday.
"[The] summit … will further strengthen Ukraine’s ties to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and its path to membership," he began. "We've done a lot of work in recent weeks and recent months on that and I think you will see a very strong package emerge from the summit for Ukraine. More broadly, we've been working closer together to make sure that as things were formed, Ukraine has what it needs to stand on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically."
He also accused Russia of attacking "the largest children's hospital in Kiev".
"It's particularly despicable that you would see this attack on that hospital but it just underscores the fact that the aggression continues," he added.
Kuleba described it as an "attack on Ukraine's future, because children are our future."
Russia has denied the claims and blamed a Ukrainian air defence missile for the destruction. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that it had conducted a "group strike by long-range precision weaponry" on military-industrial infrastructure and air bases, in response to Ukraine's own attacks on Russian infrastructure.
"Statements of the Kiev regime about the allegedly deliberate missile strike launched against civilian facilities by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are false," it continued. "Numerous published photos and footage from Kiev clearly confirm that the destruction was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile launched by an anti-aircraft missile system in the city."
The Ministry added that 'similar hysterics by the Kiev regime' had been happening for years, notably "every time on the eve of another meeting" of the NATO alliance. The 75th anniversary Summit of NATO begins in Washington DC on Tuesday.
According to media reports, Kiev is expected to be told it is 'too corrupt' to join the alliance at the current time, while there is also set to be opposition to outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's plan for a 'multi-year' military funding package for Ukraine - widely seen as a way to negate the impact of a potential Trump presidency.
'Make sure Ukraine stands on its own feet' - Blinken hints at separation, Kuleba calls for response to hospital 'strike' which Moscow blames on Kiev
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine 'has what it needs to stand on its own feet', as he met with the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the start of the NATO Summit in Washington DC on Tuesday.
"[The] summit … will further strengthen Ukraine’s ties to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and its path to membership," he began. "We've done a lot of work in recent weeks and recent months on that and I think you will see a very strong package emerge from the summit for Ukraine. More broadly, we've been working closer together to make sure that as things were formed, Ukraine has what it needs to stand on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically."
He also accused Russia of attacking "the largest children's hospital in Kiev".
"It's particularly despicable that you would see this attack on that hospital but it just underscores the fact that the aggression continues," he added.
Kuleba described it as an "attack on Ukraine's future, because children are our future."
Russia has denied the claims and blamed a Ukrainian air defence missile for the destruction. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that it had conducted a "group strike by long-range precision weaponry" on military-industrial infrastructure and air bases, in response to Ukraine's own attacks on Russian infrastructure.
"Statements of the Kiev regime about the allegedly deliberate missile strike launched against civilian facilities by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are false," it continued. "Numerous published photos and footage from Kiev clearly confirm that the destruction was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile launched by an anti-aircraft missile system in the city."
The Ministry added that 'similar hysterics by the Kiev regime' had been happening for years, notably "every time on the eve of another meeting" of the NATO alliance. The 75th anniversary Summit of NATO begins in Washington DC on Tuesday.
According to media reports, Kiev is expected to be told it is 'too corrupt' to join the alliance at the current time, while there is also set to be opposition to outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's plan for a 'multi-year' military funding package for Ukraine - widely seen as a way to negate the impact of a potential Trump presidency.
Credit: US Department of State
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine 'has what it needs to stand on its own feet', as he met with the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the start of the NATO Summit in Washington DC on Tuesday.
"[The] summit … will further strengthen Ukraine’s ties to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and its path to membership," he began. "We've done a lot of work in recent weeks and recent months on that and I think you will see a very strong package emerge from the summit for Ukraine. More broadly, we've been working closer together to make sure that as things were formed, Ukraine has what it needs to stand on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically."
He also accused Russia of attacking "the largest children's hospital in Kiev".
"It's particularly despicable that you would see this attack on that hospital but it just underscores the fact that the aggression continues," he added.
Kuleba described it as an "attack on Ukraine's future, because children are our future."
Russia has denied the claims and blamed a Ukrainian air defence missile for the destruction. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that it had conducted a "group strike by long-range precision weaponry" on military-industrial infrastructure and air bases, in response to Ukraine's own attacks on Russian infrastructure.
"Statements of the Kiev regime about the allegedly deliberate missile strike launched against civilian facilities by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are false," it continued. "Numerous published photos and footage from Kiev clearly confirm that the destruction was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile launched by an anti-aircraft missile system in the city."
The Ministry added that 'similar hysterics by the Kiev regime' had been happening for years, notably "every time on the eve of another meeting" of the NATO alliance. The 75th anniversary Summit of NATO begins in Washington DC on Tuesday.
According to media reports, Kiev is expected to be told it is 'too corrupt' to join the alliance at the current time, while there is also set to be opposition to outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's plan for a 'multi-year' military funding package for Ukraine - widely seen as a way to negate the impact of a potential Trump presidency.