President Zelensky meets face-to-face with Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin
April 25, 2022, 9:05 am

President Zelensky meets face-to-face with Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: Official Facebook page)

The Euronews reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the US secretaries of state and defence on Sunday night in what was the highest-level visit to the country’s capital by an American delegation since the start of the war.

According to the report, Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a top US official was on 19 February in Munich with Vice President Kamala Harris, five days before Russia’s invasion.

The secretive meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin came as Ukraine pressed the West for more powerful weapons and as Russia continued its campaign in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow’s forces are seeking to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops in the battered port of Mariupol.

Blinken and Austin told Zelenskyy and his advisers that the United States would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.

Russian troops destroyed the village of Kyiv Oblast (Photo: Euromaidan press via Vladimir Vetrogradskiy)

They also said that President Joe Biden would soon announce his nominee for ambassador to Ukraine, and that American diplomats who left Ukraine before the war would start returning to the country this week.

Reporters who accompanied Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred from reporting the Kyiv visit until the two men physically left Ukraine, with American officials citing security concerns.

Boris Johnson tells President Zelensky UK will provide Ukraine with more military equipment

Before the meeting, Zelenskyy said he was looking for the Americans to produce results, both in arms and security guarantees.

He said: “You can’t come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons."

While the West has funnelled military equipment to Ukraine, Zelenskyy has stressed repeatedly that his country needs more heavy weapons, including long-range air defence systems and planes.

Ukraine war worsens Ghana's macroeconomic imbalance and threatens growth

The meeting took place as Ukrainians and Russians observed Orthodox Easter. Speaking from Kyiv’s ancient St Sophia Cathedral earlier in the day, Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, highlighted its significance to a nation wracked by nearly two months of war.

He said: “The great holiday today gives us great hope and unwavering faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death, and therefore Ukraine will surely win!"

Zelensky: Russian attacks have killed around 14,000 Ukrainians in last eight years

The report noted that the Russian military reported hitting 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions and troop concentrations, while its planes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.

Source: euronews

Ten confirmed dead from missing tourist boat off northern Japanese island of Hokkaido Vatican committee visits Beirut to complete preparations for Pope Francis' visit in June

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”