Blinken assures US support of Black Sea allies as Ukraine urges military aid during conference

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — The U.S. secretary of state has assured allies bordering the Black Sea they can depend on his country’s support to make the region more secure, prosperous and integrated. Addressing the attendees of the Second Black Sea Security Conference in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, via a video feed on Monday, Anthony Blinken underscored the importance of investing in the region’s security to ensure peace and freedom across Europe. Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, which has served as a key hub supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said his country needed essential military support to bolster its capacity in the face of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion.