Top US diplomat Blinken visits McDonald's in Kyiv

Top US diplomat Blinken visits McDonald's in Kyiv

Blinken vowed the US would stand 'side by side' with Ukraine as it waged its counteroffensive
Blinken vowed the US would stand 'side by side' with Ukraine as it waged its counteroffensive. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / POOL/AFP
Source: AFP

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken stopped at a McDonald's with his counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv Wednesday, as part of a trip to shore up US support for Ukraine.

The US Secretary of State arrived in the capital earlier for an unexpected visit -- his fourth during Moscow's invasion.

"I think I have a real interest in getting some French fries," said Blinken next to Kuleba.

Kuleba was heard thanking Blinken for "helping McDonald's back" to Ukraine, after several Western firms left in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion last year.

"I really want to thank you for helping it back," he said.

The US fast-food giant announced shortly after the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that it would exit the Russian market.

Read also

Berlin-Paris night train to return after nine years

Blinken earlier told President Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington would "maximise" efforts to support Ukraine as it pushed ahead with its counteroffensive against Russian troops in the east and south.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.