Blinken said whether the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan affected Putin’s war

The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan may not inspire Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced this on Wednesday, December 11, Ukrinform reports.

“I think our adversaries, including Russia, will be happy if we stay in Afghanistan for another 20 years,” the secretary of state said.

He recalled that Putin first attacked Ukraine in 2014, when US troops were still in Afghanistan. And when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the United States administration was able to better coordinate its response to the aggressor, since it was not tied to the war in Afghanistan.

Commenting on the words of some congressmen that the unsuccessful withdrawal of the Americans from Afghanistan allegedly shows the weakness of the United States and this has prompted Russia to a wider invasion, Blinken emphasized that now America, along with its allies and partners, is stronger than ever.

“NATO is stronger today thanks to the leadership of President Biden,” he said, emphasizing that the Alliance has expanded and has more resources.

As reported, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured NATO and Kyiv of their readiness to fully use the fund for Ukraine, for which the US Congress had previously given its consent.

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said that before the inauguration of Donald Trump he did not plan to raise the issue of additional aid to Ukraine proposed by the White House.