WASHINGTON, June 12. /TASS/. The West is determined to maximally expand its support for Ukraine’s counteroffensive and continue long-term assistance to it, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference on Monday.

"So, we will continue to do two things. And we're determined that this will continue to maximize our support for Ukraine now so that it can have success on the battlefield. But also, our enduring support is critical, support for Ukraine so that it can build up over time, a strong deterrent and defensive capacity for its military so that in the future, if Russia tries to pursue another aggression, it has the chance to deter that and if necessarily effectively defend against it, but also to support its economy, to support its integration with the European Union <…>, and of course, the ongoing process of democratic reform," he said.

According to Blinken, "military strength, and its economic and democratic strength" are critically important for Ukraine "to succeed, not only to survive, but to thrive going forward." He promised "a robust package of both political and practical support" for Ukraine at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

He said that both Kiev and the West "want peace." "But again, it has to be just, it has to be durable. And if and when Russia is prepared to engage on that basis, we'll all be prepared to do that," he said adding that Russia looks be "not prepared to do that.".