London

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ability to carry out his aggressive actions against Ukraine is bolstered by the support he receives from China.

The remarks by Blinken came as he was addressing a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

Addressing the joint conference, Blinken said that one of the most important priorities includes providing support to Ukraine. He said, "...The priorities include our resolute support to Ukraine faced with the ongoing Russian aggression. The US, UK, and our leaders are providing security assistance to Ukraine, and together from day one, we continue to say that we stand strongly with our Ukrainian partners.

Criticising Russia for escalating its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians, Blinken said, "We will be travelling to Kyiv this week and I think it is a critical moment for Ukraine. In the midst of worries... with Russia continuing to escalate its aggression against civilians, critical infrastructure, and of course against Ukrainian forces, we see ramping up of attacks on cities and people, in particular targeting the energy infrastructure, electricity, all these in the coldest months.

Targeting China for supporting Russia during the war against Ukraine, Blinken said, "One of the reasons that Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is able to continue this aggression is because of the provision of support from the People's Republic of China. China is the biggest supplier of machine tools, the biggest supplier of micro-electronics, all of which are helping Russia sustain its defence industrial base."

Notably, on September 11, Blinken will travel to Ukraine with Lammy, where they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior Ukrainian government officials to discuss continued support for Ukraine's defence against Russia's aggression and ways to ensure Ukraine can thrive militarily, economically, and democratically in the long term, a press release by the US Department of State said.

Blinken further said, "This joint trip reflects strong transatlantic support, ... with our Indo-pacific partners, with more than 50 nations that continue to support Ukraine. Together, we are making sure that Ukraine can defend its territory..., that it would be able to stand strongly on its feet, economically, democratically.:

READ MORE: Divine vibes and peace at Haji Musafir Khana Khanqah