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2 U.S. Cabinet officials will meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced plans to meet on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Sergei Supinsky
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AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced plans to meet on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Updated April 23, 2022 at 4:04 PM ET

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday he plans to meet the U.S. secretaries of state and defense in Kyiv on Sunday.

Zelenskyy mentioned the plans to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a press conference. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment to NPR.

The visit would mark the first time top U.S. officials traveled to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. The meeting comes as Zelenskyy continues to push Western allies for more weapons.

Zelenskyy previously addressed Congress in March and called on U.S. lawmakers "to do more." In his speech, he pushed for a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

The Biden administration has committed $3.4 billion in assistance since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said Thursday. The U.S. aid includes Howitzers, tactical vehicles and artillery rounds.

Beyond plans to meet with U.S. officials, Zelenskyy also plans to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Rina Torchinsky
Franco Ordoñez is a White House Correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk. Before he came to NPR in 2019, Ordoñez covered the White House for McClatchy. He has also written about diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and immigration, and has been a correspondent in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Haiti.
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