Blinken: Putin's actions led to the very thing he tried to prevent with Ukraine invasion.

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated at a panel discussion in Davos, Switzerland that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "precipitated virtually everything he sought to prevent" by launching an invasion against Ukraine to separate Kyiv from the West.
• "In numerous ways, Ukraine has proven to be a significant strategic failure for both Vladimir Putin and Russia," he stated on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated at a panel discussion in Davos, Switzerland that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "precipitated virtually everything he sought to prevent" by launching an invasion against Ukraine to separate Kyiv from the West.

"In numerous ways, Ukraine has proven to be a significant strategic failure for both Vladimir Putin and Russia," he stated on Wednesday.

Russia is currently weaker militarily, economically, and diplomatically. Europe has reduced its reliance on Russian energy. Ukrainians are more united than ever. The NATO alliance is stronger, larger, and will continue to grow in the coming weeks.

Russia has consistently maintained that Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership and EU membership, which Ukraine continues to uphold, poses a threat to its national security interests. NATO has previously stated that Ukraine cannot join the military alliance while it is engaged in an active conflict, as this could lead to the immediate involvement of alliance members in a broader global conflict.

NATO's expansion has been facilitated by the war, as Finland and Sweden have abandoned their neutrality and applied to join the military group. Finland was admitted in April 2023, while Stockholm's application is still pending due to opposition from Hungary and Turkey.

Blinken stated that Putin's attempt to erase Ukraine from the map, eliminate its independence, and subsume it into Russia has failed, and it will not succeed. Furthermore, Blinken noted that Kyiv's aspirations to deepen its relationship with the West and Europe do not have to be at odds with its relationship with Russia.

Blinken stated that Russia's aggression has resulted in the destruction of cultural, economic, and other ties that were not incompatible with maintaining close ties with Russia.

Russia has annexed four Ukrainian oblasts since the invasion, namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, in addition to its previous takeover of Crimea in early 2014. This territorial expansion has resulted in Moscow's isolation on the international stage, with Western nations and the G7 imposing financial sanctions on Russian individuals and key exports of crude and oil products.

Despite being a strong supporter of Ukraine during the war, the U.S. has not yet approved a $60 billion aid package for the country, as the Biden administration and House Republicans are unable to agree on a broader funding agreement.

The U.S. has been accused by Russia of engaging in a proxy war in Ukraine.