Blinken to discuss Ukraine, Gaza with Macron in Paris
America
By
VOA
| Mar 28, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss support for Ukraine during talks in Paris next week with French President Emmanuel Macron, the State Department announced Wednesday.
France is among the major military suppliers to Ukraine, which is facing an onslaught of Russian attacks.
President Joe Biden's request for billions of dollars in new U.S. military aid to Kyiv is held up in the House of Representatives, led by the rival Republican Party.
"Secretary Blinken will meet with French President Macron to discuss support for Ukraine, efforts to prevent escalation of the conflict in Gaza and a number of other important issues," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
France has advocated for a permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, whereas the United States, Israel's main ally, recently let pass a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for a cease-fire during the month of Ramadan.
READ MORE
Big win for Ruto as court clears path for sale of key State firms
Kenya Army, KPA and Equity win as league second leg gets underway
Privatisation Act 2025 is constitutional, High Court rules
Exam cancellation: 22 former Karega Secondary School candidates yet to get 2025 KCSE results
Treasury says country's debt is sustainable
Nandi Bear: Reclaiming the forgotten heroes in Kenya's freedom struggle
Minority investors win bigger say in KenGen Board shake-up
Athletics stars set for a tough battle for honors at Sirikwa Classic
Report ranks Kenya's corruption fight among the worst globally
Kidney transplant survivor triumphs over disease to top KCSE against odds
It will be the first visit in nearly two years to France by Blinken, a fluent French speaker who grew up partly in Paris. Macron paid a state visit to Washington in December 2022.
After Paris, Blinken will head to Brussels for talks among NATO foreign ministers ahead of the alliance's 75th-anniversary summit in Washington in July.
Blinken will also hold a three-way meeting in Brussels with EU leaders and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has been seeking to branch out from his country's historic alliance with Russia.
Blinken and the European Union will address "support for Armenia's economic resilience as it works to diversify its trade partnerships and to address humanitarian needs," Miller said.
Armenia was angered last year by Russia's failure to prevent Azerbaijan from retaking the Nagorno-Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian rebels.