On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured a high-ranking Ukrainian official of continuous support from the United States. This includes assistance to navigate through the winter months, as there are concerns of potential Russian attacks on Kyiv’s infrastructure.

I had a meeting with Andriy Yermak, a high-ranking assistant to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his short visit to Washington. This was in between the top U.S. diplomat’s recent trip to the Middle East due to a crisis and an upcoming Asia-Pacific summit in San Francisco.

President Joe Biden has promised to continue providing Ukraine with billions of dollars to combat Russian aggression, despite shifting attention to the Middle East. However, some members of the opposing Republican Party remain doubtful.

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, told reporters that in all of our discussions with the Ukrainian government, we have consistently emphasized our commitment to support and stand by them.

Miller stated that Blinken had a conversation with Yarmak regarding strategies for strengthening Ukraine’s infrastructure for the approaching winter.

Last winter, we witnessed Russia attempting to sabotage energy facilities in Ukraine. It is possible that they will repeat this action.

Biden has sought to couple a request to Congress for $61 billion to Ukraine with $14 billion for Israel, but Republicans have advanced only the Israel portion and tied it to cutting the budget of the U.S. tax collection agency.

Yermak expressed gratitude to Blinken for the assistance of the United States on X, previously referred to as Twitter.

He also mentioned that the costumes worn by Blinken’s children for Halloween had a strong impact on Ukrainians. Blinken’s son dressed up in Zelenskyy’s signature military attire while his daughter donned the colors of the Ukrainian flag at a White House trick-or-treating event.